Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Driving on Less Than 5 Hours Sleep Is as Risky as Driving Drunk

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceAlert.

A new study published in Nature and Science of Sleep has found if you had less than five hours of sleep last night, you are just as likely to have a vehicle crash as if you were over the legal limit for alcohol.

About 20 percent of all vehicle crashes are caused by fatigue. Over the past 20 years, the number of crashes caused by alcohol has decreased significantly. However, there has been little progress over this period in decreasing the number of crashes caused by fatigue. The study sought to find whether the number of fatigue-related crashes on Australian roads could be reduced by following a strategy similar to the established practice of setting a blood-alcohol limit for drinking and driving . Could it be possible to determine a point at which a driver could be deemed to be impaired due to fatigue?

After synthesizing the findings of 61 unique studies, the research team found having less than 4 to 5 hours of sleep in the previous 24 hours is associated with an approximate doubling of the risk of a vehicle crash. This is the same risk of a crash seen when drivers have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent.

Additionally, a driver's risk of a crash significantly increased with each hour of sleep lost the night before. Some studies even suggested that when a driver had between zero and 4 hours of sleep the previous night, they may be up to 15 times more likely to have a crash.

The review of studies suggests that based on scientific evidence, it may be reasonable to require drivers to have a certain amount of sleep before getting behind the wheel. The research team suggested requiring a minimum of four to five hours of sleep prior to driving may be appropriate.

Source: ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/driving-on-less-than-5-hours-sleep-is-as-risky-as-driving-drunk

Teen Drivers Often Unsafe on the Road With Speeding and Handheld Cellphone Use

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in adolescents, and risky driving behaviors like speeding, rapid accelerations, and cellphone use can contribute to crashes. New research presented during the 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition finds many teens struggle to abide by the rules of the road.

Authors of the abstract, "Using a Novel cellphone Telematic App to Measure Adolescent Driving Behaviors," found that all teens, no matter their sex, behind the wheel of a car were prone to risky behaviors, particularly handheld cellphone use and speeding. Among teen drivers studied, speeding occurred in approximately 40% of trips, and handheld phone use was detected in just over 30% of trips. In 5% of trips tracked by the study, teenagers were using a cellphone while speeding.

The researchers used a cellphone application to track the driving skills of 165 adolescents in Pennsylvania. The average age of teens in the study was 17.3 years, and the average length of licensure was 8 months. The study found that most adolescents drove short trips, an average of under 6 miles per trip, and less than 2% of trips were at night.

"Our data gives us another insight into teen driving behaviors. Teens were speeding and using their cellphone while driving, but it did not occur in every trip. We want to encourage safe driving and find ways to help prevent those risky driving behaviors that can lead to a crash," said lead author Catherine McDonald, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Co-Director of the PENN Injury Science Center.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221007085737.htm

Driver's Ed Does Help Young Drivers Stay Safe

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

If your teen is itching to get behind the wheel, new research underscores the importance of signing them up for driver's education.

The study found that driver training and graduated licensing significantly reduced young newbies' risk of crashes.

"With comprehensive licensing requirements, these younger drivers can perform better than older novice drivers who are exempt from these requirements," said lead author Elizabeth Walshe, a research scientist at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

"All novice drivers need the proper training that leads to developing the critical driving skills needed to avoid crashes," she said in a hospital news release.

Walshe and her team analyzed data on crashes among nearly 130,000 Ohio drivers, ages 16 to 24, in the year after they got their licenses.

Ohio requires driver training and graduated licensing for those licensed before age 18, but not for those who get their license at 18 or older.

Compared with drivers licensed at age 18, those licensed at 16 had a 27% lower crash rate in their first two months and a 14% lower rate in the first year after getting their license.

Rates among drivers licensed at the age of 17 were 19% lower and 6% lower, respectively than those licensed at 18.

The researchers also found that among would-be drivers under 25, the most successful with the on-road license examination were 16-year-olds. Their failure rate was 22%, compared with 37% among 18-year-olds, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/impact-texas-teen-drivers-2657191312.html

Suicidality is Linked to Risky Driving Behaviors in US High School Students

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Two of the most common forms of death among adolescents are suicide and motor vehicle traffic accidents. A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that adolescents who reported at least one suicide attempt within the last year, in comparison to those reporting no attempts, were more likely to also report infrequent seat belt use and driving with a drunk driver. There were also over twice as likely to report driving drunk.

The researchers analyzed data from over 13,500 U.S. high school students who participated in the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and found that 19% of the sample reported suicidal ideation. Texting or e-mailing while driving was the most commonly reported form of risky driving behaviors.

"The findings from this study emphasize the need for mental health support for adolescents experiencing suicidality as a means of increasing safety for themselves and their communities, as accidental injury deaths via car accidents were the leading cause of death among adolescents in 2019," said lead author Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., MSW, assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work."The more severe the suicidality, the stronger the association with risky driving behaviors. Adolescents who reported a suicide injury, such as poisoning or overdose needing to be treated by a medical professional, had the highest likelihood to report all four risky driving behaviors we examined."

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-01-suicidality-linked-risky-behaviors-high.html

Driving Technology Benefits Young Drivers Most And Could Slash Teen Crashes

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on Forbes.com.

Crash avoidance features and teen-specific vehicle systems could offer large safety benefits for teen drivers — they have the potential to prevent or mitigate up to three-quarters of fatal crashes.  And crash avoidance technologies appear to benefit young drivers more than older ones.

Those are the highlights of several new reports released earlier this month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit financed by the insurance industry, and its affiliate, the Highway Loss Data Institute.

One study that addressed the safety benefits of crash avoidance technologies like front crash prevention and lane departure prevention found that they can help a particularly crash-prone group of drivers – teenagers.

Researchers concluded that if the technologies were universally used and completely effective, they could prevent or mitigate 41% of all crashes involving teen drivers and as many as 47% of teen driver injuries and 78% of teen driver deaths.

Three other studies by the Highway Loss Data Institute based on an analysis of insurance data found that young drivers under 25 gained bigger benefits from crash avoidance tech like front crash prevention and lane departure warning than drivers 25 and older.

Source: Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2021/09/22/driving-technology-benefits-young-drivers-most-and-could-slash-teen-crashes-new-studies-find/

Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers (2021)

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on Automoblog.

A recent study from WalletHub examined the risks for teenage drivers on a state-by-state basis. Overall, WalletHub researchers studied 23 key data points ranging from teen driver fatalities and the presence of impaired driving laws to the cost of car repairs. Based on the data, WalletHub has compiled its list of the best and worst states for teen drivers in 2021. Below is a summary of WalletHub’s findings.

10 Best: New York, Oregon, Connecticut, Alaska, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Maryland, New Jersey

10 Worst: South Carolina, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Nebraska, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming

Best State: New York
State with Lowest Teen Deaths: Rhode Island
State with Lowest Increase for Teen Auto Insurance: Hawaii
State with Best Road Conditions: Tennessee

Source: Automoblog
https://www.automoblog.net/best-worst-states-teen-drivers/

Teens Who Text While Driving May Take Other Risks Behind the Wheel

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay.

When it comes to teens, one risky driving behavior may beget other risky behaviors on the road: New research finds that those who use cellphones while behind the wheel are more likely to engage in other types of risky driving.

"This study found that frequent cellphone use while driving was only one indicator of a more general pattern of risky driving practices associated with prior crashes in young drivers," said study author Elizabeth Walshe, a research scientist at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

"Assessment of personality traits, such as impulsivity and sensation-seeking, may be helpful to identify drivers most at risk in order to provide more targeted interventions promoting safe driving," Walshe said in a hospital news release.

The findings suggest that efforts to promote safe driving in teens and young adults should address all types of risky driving associated with impulsivity, the researchers said.

Their study included 384 young drivers (ages 18-24) from across the United States who completed an online survey that assessed their risky driving practices, as well as their history of crashes and impulse-related personality traits.

About 44% of the drivers said they'd been in at least one crash, and 73% reported cellphone use while driving.

Those who used cellphones while behind the wheel were more likely to report other risky driving behaviors such as speeding, aggressive passing, and running red lights.

While cellphone use while driving was not uniquely associated with crashes, it was one of several risky activities related to crashes, according to the study published recently in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/b-6-14-why-some-youth-are-more-prone-to-text-while-driving-2653320836.html

Young Drivers Talking on Smartphones More Likely to Run Red Lights, Drive Intoxicated

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on Study Finds.

Using a hand-held phone while driving is a major safety hazard at any age. For young and inexperienced drivers, however, it can lead to even worse decisions behind the wheel. Researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, find novice drivers who talk or text while driving are more likely to ignore red lights and drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The study finds just the act of using a hand-held phone while driving has a connection to higher odds of speeding, driving drunk, driving without a license, and cutting off other drivers.

Researchers surveyed 700 German Young Novice Drivers (YNDs) with an average age of 21 during this project. The team notes that although this data technically only pertains to Germany, the behavior of these drivers is comparable to other young motorists around the globe.

“The data also indicates a moderately-strong effect between talking on a hand-held phone and speeding more than 20 km/h over the speed limit in urban areas. Speeding in built-up areas is moderately correlated with reading notifications, sending texts, or voice messages,” says Dr. Darren Shannon of Lero and the University of Limerick in a media release.

“There is a strong association between those who speak on their phone and those who engage in risky activity with potentially fatal consequences, such as intoxicated driving, ignoring red traffic lights, and driving with more passengers than seatbelts,” the researcher adds.

The study was published in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.

Source: Study Finds
https://www.studyfinds.org/young-drivers-phones-run-red-lights/

Speeding on U.S. Roads Is Taking Thousands of Teenagers' Lives

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay.

Nearly half -- 43% -- of all fatal car crashes involving teens and their passengers are the result of speeding, a new automobile safety report reveals.

The finding stems from an in-depth analysis of all fatal motor vehicle accidents across the United States between 2015 and 2019. During this five-year period, 4,930 teen drivers and passengers died in crashes involving speeding.

And while the report acknowledges that deadly speeding is a problem at any age, it warns that the consequences of speeding pose a particularly grave danger to young drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.

Although the period studied did not include the pandemic, Governors Highway Safety Association executive director Jonathan Adkins said in a statement that the United States "has a speeding problem that has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic."

According to Adkins, "Thousands of people die needlessly on our roads because some drivers mistakenly think less traffic means they can speed and nothing bad will happen. The data tell us that teen drivers are the most likely to be tempted to speed, so the need to address this issue is more critical than ever, given traffic death trends during the pandemic."

The study found that teen drivers who died in a speeding accident were more likely to be male (37% versus 28%), and were more likely to not be wearing a seatbelt. Teen fatalities also tended to involve being run off the road and/or car rollovers.

Younger teens (16- to 17-year-olds) were found to be at the highest risk for a deadly speeding crash. But teens aged 18 and 19 were more likely to get into an accident between midnight and 5 a.m. Older teens were also more likely to have accidents while on a highway or freeway.

And when it comes to speeding fatalities when passengers were in the car, more was decidedly worse: The greater the number of teenagers in the car alongside a teen driver, the greater the risk for a deadly speeding accident.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/2-8-teen-drivers-are-speeding-more-during-pandemic-with-tragic-results-2650142951.html

With Pot Rules Relaxed, More U.S. Teens Driving While High

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay.

Almost half of teenagers who regularly use pot admit they've gotten behind the wheel while stoned, a new study in JAMA Network Open reveals.

Overall, twice as many teens report driving under the influence of marijuana than admit to drinking and driving, according to results drawn from a federal survey on youth risk behaviors.

Nearly 13% of teen drivers said they'd operated a vehicle while stoned within the past month, compared with 5% who said they drove drunk, the study says.

"Marijuana can impair cognitive abilities that are critical for safe driving," said lead researcher Dr. Motao Zhu, professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University College of Public Health. "This is a serious issue that requires our attention."

The wave of marijuana legalization that has swept the United States has likely contributed to the problem by making pot easier than ever to obtain, Zhu said.

"Definitely, there's more availability of marijuana from legal channels," Zhu said. "Maybe teens feel marijuana isn't as harmful as they thought in the past."

For the study, Zhu and his team analyzed responses from more than 6,800 students 14 or older who participated in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. It's a nationwide survey conducted regularly by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 1 in 8 teen drivers who are casual pot users said they'd driven under the influence of marijuana in the past month, Zhu said.

Among teens who regularly use marijuana, nearly 49% said they had driven while stoned, the survey showed.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/12-30-with-pot-rules-relaxed-more-u-s-teens-driving-stoned-2649619780.html