CHAPTER (1)
INTRODUCTION TO TEEN DRIVING SAFETY
1.1 General
Teen driving safety is an important issue of enormous concerns. Due to high growing number of problems for teenage drivers, it has turned necessary to take steps and thus a series of multiple techniques have been examined and implemented. Further this paper explains in detail about the teen driving safety problems after considering different teen factors and their particular recommended solution.
1.2 Objective
The objectives of this paper are
(a) To investigate the problems involved by the teenagers
(b) To identify the reasons, compare and contrast, and find out the possible solutions
1.3 Outline of the Study
This paper contains (5) chapters. Chapter (1) is the introduction to teen driving safety problems and solutions. Chapter (2) provides the literature review on the safety problems concerned with teenagers. Chapter (3) presents the problem statements and chapter (4) shows the methodology, and how the data are analyzed and collected. Chapter (5) describes the conclusion and recommendations for the teenage safety problems and solutions.
CHAPTER (2)
Literature review
2.1 Types of Road Users
Nowadays minor and major accidents are happening all over the world and different types of road users are involving in these situations. According to the previous studies, we can divide the different types of road users into (6) groups and each of them have their own limitations and abilities which can influence on the designing of the traffic and road such as:
(a) Old drivers
(b) Novice drivers
(c) Truck drivers
(d) Motorcyclists
(e) Pedestrians
(f) Bicyclists
2.1.1 Novice Drivers
The younger the teenagers, the higher the crash rate. 6% of this age are the licensed drivers but still involved 9.4% in the fatal crashes according to the study done by the NHTSA in 2014. Additionally, the ratio of males to females of involving the fatal crashes are 3:1 as the males have to drive more miles and possible to involve in more hazardous situations. Based on the previous survey, we can categorize the reasons that can lead to the accidents into (4) types:
(a) Dangerous driving behaviors – The most dangerous driving is failures to check before turning to the left, not checking and less spacing with the car ahead, and failures to drive carefully on the wet surfaces.
(b) Influence of young passengers – This is one of the most significant reasons nowadays as the young driver can get influence another young driver especially the male drivers in the negative ways. Normally these teenagers drive faster after leaving their respective schools or university and have lower headway distances with the front vehicles.
(c) Alcohol – The ages between 15 and 20 were killed in 2012 in the United States because of consuming alcohol while driving and 24% had the BAC of 0.08 or greater by NHTSA, 2014.
(d) Perception of dangerous situations – Not noticing and understanding the potential hazards or overconfidence of their driving experiences and coping ability can lead to the accidents.
2.1.2 Old Drivers
The drivers who are above 65 years old belong to the old drivers and their proportion significantly increasing in the United States and many other countries. According to some statistical data, the crash rates per miles travelled increase after the age of 65 due to the frailty of old drivers. Their rates are twice to the younger ones and the involvement of male old drivers is higher than the females in this age group.
The failure to yield to oncoming traffic while turning at the intersection, failures to yield to the approaching vehicles when entering or crossing the intersection, and failures to yield to the approaching vehicles from right at the intersection are the most frequent crash types of the old drivers (Maleck & Hummer, 1986). Not only because of the perceptual and cognitive limitations at the complex intersections but also because of the certain level of the requirements of the muscular strength such as detecting the crossing vehicles at the sharp intersection or trains at a skew-angle railroad crossing, they involve in the crashes to some extent.
2.1.3 Truck Drivers
Crashes occurred by the trucks weighting more than 10,000 lbs are severe and can lead to property damage and fatalities to occupants of other vehicles. Around 317,000 large trucks were involved in the crashes in the 2012 in the U.S (NTHSA, 2014) and most of the cases are alcohol-impaired driving which killed 3,781 people. Therefore, the truck drivers also need certain driving task, driving skills, and information needs to operate the vehicles are different from operation of smaller commercial vehicles.
2.1.4 Motorcyclists
Unlike the operation of the other motor vehicles, the operation and relative tasks of motorcycles, which are small and have greater acceleration, are easy and user-friendly but in most collision cases, the rider has no protection and turn into the fatalities in a short period. On the other hand, it is more difficult to predict the driving speed and distance because of its small size and the rider’s eye movements are also limited due to the head position. Additionally, road surfaces are also one of the contributing factors for crashes occurrences of motorcyclists. For motor vehicles, they can operate on the gravels, uneven railroad crossings, rough road surfaces and improper speed bumps, but the motorcyclists cannot operate easily in the same manner and possible to lose control in that situation. Therefore, adequate road warning signs are needed for riders.
2.1.5 Pedestrians
The pedestrians also involve 13% of all fatalities in the United States and 4,280 pedestrians were killed in the U.S in 2010. The definition for the importance of the pedestrians may be different in every country but care must be taken to reduce undesired crashes and fatalities. Serious consideration for walking speed of the pedestrians at the intersection, visual availability of the pedestrians and the interaction between vehicles’ drivers and pedestrians are important factors for pedestrian’s safety and reducing the crashes and fatalities.
2.1.6 Bicyclists
Bicyclists in the U.S and in the Europe are significantly increased during the last two decades and 726 bicyclists were killed by the motor vehicles in the U.S in 2012. More than 1,000 accidents were related with the roadway and environmental factors such as grades, darkness and lighting, and the fog which can reduce the visibility and effect the control and braking system of the bicycles. Therefore, specific traffic control devices, proper road designs for bicyclists and safety guidance practices will require for safety of bicyclists.
CHAPTER (3)
Problem statement
3.1 Problems for Teen Drivers
The possible problems for teen drivers as follow:
1. Distractions: Using Cell Phones
2. Over Speed Limit
3. Driver Influences: Drunk and Drive
3.1.1 Distractions: Using Cell Phones
Cellular telephones (cell phones) were first introduced in the United States in the mid-1980s, and their utilization has since experienced unstable development. Today there are more than 262 million cell phone subscribers, representing 84 percent of the United States population. Cell phone technology has become very useful for people on the move, which is demonstrated by survey that show that the majority of users reported using their phones while driving.
A study led by AAA (American Automobile Association) and Seventeen magazine found that 46 percent of drivers 16 and 17 years of age said that they instant message while driving. This is a significant measurement on the grounds that 37 percent of similar young people said that they trusted that content informing was the most unsafe driver diversion.
Diverted driving was the reason for 3,477 car crash passing in 2015, as indicated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). It was additionally the reason for 391,000 injuries. Driving distractions include:
1. Texting or talking on a mobile device
2. Browsing the Internet and using social media
3. Looking maps
4. Taking pictures (selfies)
5. Watching videos or searching playlists, changing radio station
6. Interacting with passengers
7. Eating or drinking
8. Grooming (doing hair or makeup)
9. Reading
The top three things teens are doing prior to an accident are:
(a) 15 % of vehicle crashes come about because of conversing with travelers
(b) 12 % of vehicle crashes come about because of messaging or chatting on a phone
(c) 11 % of vehicle crashes come about because of looking for something
3.1.2 Over speed Limit
As indicated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), unnecessary speed is an issue in around 33% of every single fatal accident including youngsters. Extreme speeding is by and large known as driving more than 15 or 20 miles over as far as possible. This is a significant sum. Consider a young person moving 45 mph in an area with a speed limit of 25 mph. Or then again shouldn’t something be said about on streets with 50 mph limits? Adolescents could drive 65 mph on an inward city street with movement, stop lights, bicyclists, and passerby intersections.
There are a number of reasons:
(a) Distraction
(b) Loss of control
(c) Bad weather
(d) Drinking
3.1.3 Drunk driving
Driver are viewed as liquor disabled when their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are .08 grams for each deciliter (g/dL) or higher. In this manner, any fatal accident including a driver with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher is viewed as a alcohol-impaired driving accident, and fatalities happening in those accidents are viewed as alcohol impaired driving fatalities. The expression “drunk driving” is utilized rather than liquor weakened driving in some other NHTSA correspondence and material.
Figure 3.2 Fatalities & Fatality Rate per 100 Million VMT in Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Crashes, 2007-2016
Source: Fatalities – FARS 2007-2015 Final File, 2016 ARF: 2007-2015 VMT – FWHA – Annual Highway Statistics: 2016 VMT – FHWA’s Traffic Volume Trends (June 2017)
Age Group Number of Licensed Drivers Percent of
Total (%) Drivers in
Fatal Crashes Involvement Rate
16 ~ 20 12,002,717 5.4 4,412 36.76
21 ~ 24 14,460,176 6.5 5,233 36.19
25 ~ 34 39,194,065 17.7 10,815 27.59
35 ~ 44 36,500,347 16.5 8,116 22.24
45 ~ 54 39,407,317 17.8 7,946 20.16
55 ~ 64 38,379,823 17.3 6,966 18.15
65 ~ 74 26,070,715 11.8 4,122 15.81
Above 75 15,633,421 7.1 2,971 19.00
Total 221,711,918 100.0 51,914 23.42
Table 3.1 Drivers in Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes By Age, 2016
CHAPTER (4)
METHODOLOGY, DATA COLLECTION & DATA ANALYSIS
In general, many factors can affect the drivers when operating the vehicle and lead to the incident. In the case of teen drivers, three main factors mostly affect them are Speeding-related, Alcohol, and Distraction. The data of fatalities in crashes due to these factors will be collected and analyzed.
All of the data collection in this project are retrieved from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Encyclopedia. NHTSA is a government agency and a part of United State Department of Transportation. They collect the crashes data, analyze and evaluate to reduce, prevent the fatalities, losses from the traffic crashes.
From the data collection, the charts will be constructed to support the analysis. The results will show the general picture of teen drivers to compare with other group ages.
4.2 Data Collection and Data Analysis
4.2.1 General Information
Fatalities in Crashes Caused by Young Drivers (Age 15 – 20)
Year Young Drivers Pass. in Teen Cars Occupants of Other Vehicles Non-Occupants Total Total Fatalities
2014 1,717 1,013 1,090 452 4,272 32,675
2015 1,886 975 1,315 526 4,702 35,092
2016 1,908 1,018 1,338 589 4,853 37,461
Table 4.1 Fatalities in crashes involving young drivers (Age 15 – 20)
(Safety Facts FARS/GES Annual Report 2014, 2015, 2016)
The data from Table 4.1 shows that in three years 2014, 2015 and 2016, the deaths caused by traffic crashes tend to increase every year. The average increasing rate of fatalities is about 7% per year. In each year, the fatalities of young drivers in fatal crashes also increase. In addition, the fatal crashes caused by young drivers lead to the death of other people who involved in the crashes.
The data indicate that the fatalities in crashes due to young drivers account for 13% of the total fatalities in 2014, 2015 and 2016 (Figure 4.2). In this 13%, 40% of fatalities are young drivers. It means these fatal crashes cause 60% of other people who got involved in these crashes lost their lives. This result is significant between the fatalities in crashes caused by other group ages.
Figure 4.1. Fatalities in Crashes Involving Young Drivers from 2014 to 2016.
Figure 4.2. Percentage of Fatalities in Crashes from 2014 – 2016
4.2.2 Under the Influence of Alcohol
According to United States law, the minimum legal drinking age is 21, and the driver who has the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) more than 0.08g/dL are considered as an impaired driver. The data collection in Table 4.2. illustrates the drivers killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes between teen drivers and other group ages. All of the drivers killed in crashes were noted that they were under the influence of alcohol. The drivers killed are divided into two group: impaired drivers and non-impaired drivers (the BAC < 0.08g/dL).
Drivers Killed in Crashes Due to Impaired Driving (Driver’s BAC, g/dL)
Year 2014 2015 2016 Average
Age 0.01 – 0.07 0.08 0.01 – 0.07 0.08 0.01 – 0.07 0.08 0.01 – 0.07 0.08
16-20 85 363 94 390 78 362 86 372
21-24 125 923 124 900 150 877 133 900
25-34 214 1,748 225 1,751 275 1,866 238 1788
35-44 148 1,170 169 1,195 194 1,206 170 1190
45-54 168 1,110 179 1,118 189 1,083 179 1104
55-64 125 712 147 680 160 708 144 700
65-74 55 243 68 258 83 247 69 249
> 74 34 111 37 117 45 117 39 115
954 6380 1043 6409 1174 6466 1057 6418
Table 4.2. Driver Killed in Crashes Due to Alcohol-Impaired Driving, by Age.
(Source: Traffic Safety Facts FARS/GES Annual Report 2014, 2015, 2016)
Figure 4.3. Percentage of Drivers Killed in Crashes Due to Alcohol-Impaired Driving, By Age
The Chart B.1 illustrates the percentage of drivers killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Despite the law of minimum legal drinking age in the US, the figures of teen drivers reach to 8% of total non-impaired drivers (BAC < 0.08g/dL) and 6% of the total impaired driver (BAC 0.08g/dL). Although these proportions are not significant to compare with other group ages, the number of impaired teen drivers killed in crashes makes up 25% of total deaths of teen drivers in crashes (Figure 4.4). Hence, the influence of alcohol is the factor that affects seriously not only to the teen drivers but also to the other people who got involved in the crashes.
Figure 4.4. Percentage of Teen Drivers Killed in Crashes Due to Alcohol-Impaired Driving.
4.2.3 Speeding-Related
Figure 4.5. Average Percentage of Speeding Drivers in Fatal Crashes, By Age and Gender.
(Source: Traffic Safety Facts FARS/GES Annual Report 2014, 2015, 2016)
The figure 4.5. illustrates the average percentage of speeding drivers in fatal crashes. These drivers are recorded as a speeding-related offense or exceeding the speed limit. By comparing the data between young drivers and other group ages. The results in all three years point out that the highest proportion of speeding drivers in fatal crashes is on young drivers’ group for both males and females. The trending lines show that the crashes due to speeding-related tend to decrease as the age increases. It could be because of lacking awareness in young drivers about the consequences of driving too fast.
4.2.4 Distraction
Fatalities in Distraction-Affected Crashes.
Year Other Drivers Teen Drivers Fatalities Teen Fatalities Percent (%)
2014 3000 304 313 163 52.08
2015 3263 290 322 194 60.25
2016 3210 303 339 174 51.33
Table 4.3. Fatalities in Distraction-Affected Crashes.
(Source: Traffic Safety Facts FARS/GES Annual Report 2014, 2015, 2016)
Figure 4.6. Fatalities in Distraction-Affected Crashes from 2014 to 2016.
According to the results showned in Figure 4.6., the number of teen drivers accounts for more than 10% of total drivers under distraction-affected in each year. In 10% of crashes due to distraction caused by teen drivers, 55% of fatalities is teenager and 45% of fatalities is occupants, non-occupants in crashes. These fatalities can be considered as avoidable losses , since the causes such as alcohol, speeding-related or distraction are possibly prevented by many approriate solutions.
Figure 4.7. Percentage of Fatalities in Distraction-Affected Crashes from 2014 to 2016.
4.3 Solutions for the Problems
4.3.1 Graduated Licensing
One of the countermeasures to solve the problem of a traffic accident is Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) program: this program has mainly reduced the rate of fatality for a teenager. GDL laws will change depend upon the state although they have the same three primary stages for most of the state such as supervised learning period (in this stage for a new driver is only allowed to drive with an adult supervisor to some extent before getting an intermediate license), Intermediate license (in this stage a driver get a license to drive and no longer needs a supervisor to drive although they have some restrictions like no cell phone, strict the number of passengers allowed in the car and so on. These restrictions will vary from state to state), and Full-Privilege license (in this stage a driver needs to reach the required age and other requirements to get an unrestricted driver license. These requirements also will vary from state to state).
4.3.2 Breathalyzer
The last outcome for teens to drive safety includes the system called Car Breathalyzer Devices are commonly known as Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIIDs or IIDs), which is a safety device in the vehicle that connects the car engine and driver’s breath sample. When you submit your breath sample into the tester (it is a small tube), that IID converts the breath sample into an electrical current and the oxidation creates the electric current when your breath alcohol level is lower than the certain limits. If the alcohol percentage of the driver is higher than a certain level, the vehicle will not allow starting the ignition.
4.3.3 Ford MyKey
Another solution to drive safely is by mean of Ford MyKey system; this is a software program especially for teenagers that connected between vehicles and the parents. In this program, parents can directly control and keep track of their children. Since parents can set the limits of speed and radio volume of their teen children. Beside other alert systems just as when the vehicles reach a low-fuel limit and notify the drivers when the tank becomes empty while, driving aids (blind spot, park aid, and traction control) are directed concerned to the drivers.
CHAPTER (5)
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
Present possible methodologies and recommendations possible for the implementation of decision for safer teen driving.
This paper presents the current state of possible solutions to problems faced by teen drivers like using cell phone, drink and drive, and over speed limit. It also presents the different ways of methodologies and about the ways collected data are analyzed. Thus, it can be concluded that teen driving safety is of great concern and so turns important to be aware of safer recommended steps that results as teen driving safety.
5.2 Recommendation
For the future research, the researchers may also need to collect and analyze the data of crashes contributed by the influence of the young teenage drivers and driving experiences and coping ability of dangerous and hazardous situations and possible solutions for that.
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