• Nine out of ten teenage drivers say they engage in at least one smartphone behavior while driving.
• Parents influence their teenage children. Teens whose parents use cellphones while driving were more likely to do the same.
• Teens report using phones while driving despite finding such activities distracting and believing they can increase the likelihood of a crash.
• Teens who have been in an accident have a higher tendency to use their phone when behind the wheel.
• Many teens reported driving a vehicle equipped with an advanced safety feature: automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, or lane keeping assist. These teens more likely engaged in distracted smartphone behaviors while driving than those who drove vehicles without safety features. Teens are comfortable taking their eyes off the road to focus on other tasks when the safety systems are active. This is a dangerous combination.

“Drivers who engage in distracting behaviors while behind the wheel are making the decision to put themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk,“ said Laurel Straub, Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Research at State Farm. “Unfortunately, this risk often leads to crashes, injuries, and fatalities. These tragedies are preventable.”

For teens, parents are an important role model in the car.

"Our data shows that teens who admit to using a smartphone while driving are more likely to have a parent or guardian who also uses a phone while driving,” Straub added.

When learning hands-on driving skills it's important to:

• Eliminate distractions when behind the wheel.
• Practice your driving skills with your parents.
• Enroll in drivers education courses. 
• Review state graduated drivers licensing laws.
• Establish restrictions, boundaries and curfews. 

Tips to avoid distractions while driving (not just for teens!):

• Put the phone away. Set it to send an automatic reply while driving – no texts, internet, selfies or social media.
• Adjust controls -  GPS, radios, air conditioning, or mirrors – before driving.
• If you must call, pull over and park in a safe place or ask your passenger to call.
• Always, always have your head in the game – drive safe.

More safety help is available. Our auto insurance discount programs like State Farm Drive Safe & Save^TM and Steer Clear^® help you save while also improving your driving habits. Steer Clear reinforces safe driving habits in young drivers under age 25.

*Source: ^{1, 2} National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; ³ Pew Research Center

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• Smartphones While Driving: We Know It’s Risky. So Why Do We Do It?
• Teen driving 101: a step-by-step test of essential driving skills
• Ways to help your teen driver stay safe
• Things have changed since you learned to drive
• Attention, teen drivers: buckle up (video)
• 4 Driving experiences your teen needs
• Texting while driving includes growing mobile web use
• Full 2020 Survey Report: Distracted Teens Behind the Wheel

Brynn, 15, had just begun the driver’s education course at her high school to get her learner's permit. Then the pandemic forced students into remote learning in March.

It was one of many obstacles Brynn and students just like her suddenly had to navigate.

The course was adjusted to be completed remotely. However, departments of motor vehicles across the country altered their policies and availability to services. Driving schools were forced to close. Young drivers turned to their parents and family members.

“I’m apprehensive about driving,” Brynn said. “I’ve had some bad experiences and been in a couple of accidents. Driving terrifies me.”

In addition to being a passenger in a vehicle during a minor crash, a distracted teen driver crashed into her middle school bus. The school bus driver veered to avoid the collision causing the bus to roll onto its side.

“Nobody was seriously hurt,” Brynn’s mother Noel Payne said. “But those things are scarring. And now she’s not very excited because driving is stressful for her.”

Her apprehension is not unwarranted. National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 18-24) is a time to remind teens of the need to remain focused behind the wheel. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old) in the United States - ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence.

Because of the pandemic, more parents are teaching their children how to drive, while at the same time we are all driving fewer miles. Additionally, the distractions have changed. Parents didn’t have smart phones when they were teens.

In July 2020, State Farm surveyed teens (16-19 year-old drivers) to examine their attitudes and behaviors regarding the use of smartphones while driving. The survey revealed nearly nine out of 10 said they engage in at least one cellphone behavior while driving. Two-thirds of teens said they program a navigation app while driving. Just under half said they read text messages or talk on a hand-held phone when behind the wheel.

Parents may also be influencing their teenage children. Teens who said their parents use cellphones while driving were significantly more likely to engage in each phone activity.

“Putting the cell phone away is a conversation we have every time we are in the car and it’s a rule we’ve agreed upon,” Noel said. “There are so many distractions built into driving, she doesn’t need her cell phone to be one of them.”

Brynn knows she needs to remain focused on all the intricacies of learning. Especially understanding all the responsibilities of getting behind the wheel.

“I am not so worried about hitting someone. I feel like I am careful and understand the risks of driving and what I am doing,” Brynn said. “It is hard to focus on everything happening around you – what’s in front of you, what is behind you and alongside you or wherever anything else is coming from.

“I can control some of that,” Brynn said, “But I have no control over what other drivers are doing while they are behind the wheel. I’ve seen what can happen and that is scary.”

This week marks the tenth anniversary of National Teen Driver Safety Week. Things look much different than they did ten years ago. Though it is tragic to lose even one young person in a car crash, the numbers have decreased nearly 43 percent in the past decade. In 2015, 4,308 teens were involved in fatal crashes compared to 7,500 in 2005*.

Where it all began

The 2006 National Young Driver Survey was a research collaboration between State Farm® and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. More than 5000 teens were surveyed to help us better understand teens’ driving attitudes and behaviors. Young drivers shared what they believe affects safe driving. In their own words, they provided insights on parental involvement, distractions, and risky driving behaviors.

The survey revealed a need to shine a light on ways to keep young drivers safe behind the wheel. In 2007, State Farm, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and members of Congress teamed up to designate the third week of October as National Teen Driver Safety Week.

“Over the past ten years we have seen a great combined effort to keep teens safe behind the wheel,” said Chris Mullen, Director of Technology Research at State Farm. “All across the country students, parents, schools, the medical community, insurers, safety organizations, auto manufacturers, corporations, policymakers and others have worked to improve safety through education, awareness, technology and strong Graduated Driver Licensing laws.”

Life-saving laws

The National Young Driver Survey highlighted the importance of the provisions that make up Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. Strong GDL laws consist of: minimum age of 16 for a learner’s permit, a six-month holding period, supervised driving requirement, nighttime driving restriction, passenger restriction, cell phone restriction, and a minimum age of 18 for an unrestricted license.

Studies from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) attribute reductions in crash deaths to strong GDL programs. Nearly all states have substantially strengthened their GDL laws over the past twenty years.

All states now have at least some elements of graduated driver licensing. IIHS has created this calculator that estimates the effect of teen driver licensing changes, by state.

Parents making an impact

Over the past ten years, there has grown to be more emphasis on parental involvement in the learning to driver process. GDL laws, schools and driver education programs have placed more emphasis on the role of parents in the teen driving experience.

When teens begin driver’s education, many states and localities now require parents to attend informational meetings. This helps parents understand what their child will be learning, what learning is required outside of school, and familiarizes them with the state GDL laws.

“Car crashes are the greatest danger your teens face,” said Dr. Flaura Winston of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “The good news? These crashes are preventable. As parents of new drivers, you play a vital role in keeping your teens safe on the road. In fact, our research has found that you can cut your teens’ crash risk in half by staying involved, setting rules, and being supportive.”

Peer-to-Peer Power

Award-winning Illinois driver education instructor Judy Weber-Jones believes teen-led safety programs have had a great impact on teens’ driving behaviors. “When teens lead outreach programs, during National Teen Driver Safety Week and year-round, they are helping create a culture of safe driving in their communities.”

Gerald Apple agrees. He is a board member of the Washington Traffic Safety Education Association and advisor for the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) clubs at Shelton High School and Junior High in Washington State. “We have seen students make a great impact on awareness of safety issues,” he said. “Through their distracted driving and other safety presentations and pledge drives within their schools and even elementary schools, kids are really paying attention.”

Going forward

Even though teen fatalities have gone down significantly compared to ten years ago, recent crash statistics show they are beginning to rise, just like the numbers for drivers of all ages.

“We really must turn this trend back around,” said Chris Mullen. “Studies show we can achieve that through a collaborative approach that includes teen-led programs, effective and affordable driver education, strong GDL laws, parental involvement, and advances in safety technology.”

*Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System

Every October, as part of the Power of You(th)^® program, MADD joins its partners around the country to host school and community events to empower teens to make safe choices. This year’s focus, #ProtectUrFuture, is about how choices about alcohol can impact their future such as, being kicked off a sports team, not be able to attend the college of their choice or lose a college sponsorship and have an arrest on their record. Tragically there are also life-altering consequences such as alcohol poisoning and teen drunk driving.

“The decisions teens make today can impact their lives tomorrow and for years to come,” said MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church, whose 18-year-old son Dustin was killed as a passenger in a crash caused by a teen drunk and drugged driver. “There is an urgent need in our country to address the underage drinking epidemic that causes 4,300 deaths a year, I am grateful to State Farm for helping us save young lives.”

The latest research shows:

• The number of youth drinking alcohol continue to decline since 1991, when the numbers peaked. These have declined by 70 percent, 50 percent and 30 percent for grades 8, 10 and 12. However, six out of every ten students (61 percent) have consumed alcohol (more than a few sips) by the end of high school, and 23 percent have done so by 8^th grade. Monitoring the Future, 2016
• Alcohol was a factor in an average of 492 suicides, 1,269 homicides, 245 reports of death from alcohol poisoning, falls, burns or drowning, and 1,580 deaths from motor vehicle crashes of people under the age of 21 each year from 2006 to 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013
• In 2011, 188,000 people under the age of 21 visited an emergency room because of alcohol related injuries. SAMHSA, 2014
• Research also shows that the earlier a young person begins drinking alcohol the more likely they will become alcohol dependent as adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015
• Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol related crash. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2001

“While we are heartened to see the decline in underage drinking across the nation, it also motivates us to do more,” said Lisa Joyce, State Farm Public Affairs. “We are proud of our support of MADD’s Power of You(th) to educate and protect teens and their futures, so they can fulfill all of their hopes and dreams.”

MADD’s Power of You(th) program equips teens to resist peer pressure and influence their peers to make smart, healthy decisions about not drinking alcohol before they turn 21 and to never getting in the car with anyone who has been drinking. At school events, victims share personal stories, students receive a teen booklet with real-life stories, and learn about powerofyouth.com as an important resource.