Topline
Teenage drivers have admitted to looking at their cell phones one-fifth of the time when they're behind the wheel, most commonly to be entertained, text or follow a map, a new study published in the Traffic Injury Prevention journal shows.
A driver uses a phone while behind the wheel of a car.
A survey of more than 1,100 teens from across the country saw participants admit to spending an average of 21% of each trip using their phones while driving.
Of those instances, more than a quarter lasted two seconds or longer, participants reported, which significantly increases the risk of a crash or near crash, according to a 2014 study.
Teens said driving distracted allows them to be entertained or productive while on the road, and that they're more likely to use their phones behind the wheel when they haven't gotten enough sleep.
Most participants said they understand that distracted driving is dangerous and that their parents would rather they not, but they said their friends are also using their phones behind the wheel.
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- That's how many people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers between the ages of 15 and 19 in 2022, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Teen Driver Source.
Distracted driving was blamed for the deaths of 3,275 people in 2023—about 9 deaths per day on average—according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. All but one state, Montana, has legally banned texting while behind the wheel for all drivers and, as of December, 35 states have illegalized all types of phone use among young drivers. Despite the restrictions, one 2023 poll found that while 97% of teen drivers agree texting and driving is dangerous, 43% admitted to doing it anyway.