Motor vehicle crash rates for teen drivers during the learner’s permit phase are relatively low and comparable to those of adult drivers. However, once teenagers begin driving independently, the crash risk increases significantly at licensure and remains high during the first few months of solo driving. Due to a lack of definitive scientific evidence, it remains unclear whether teen drivers who are exposed to a greater variety of traffic and road conditions early in their driving experience have a lower likelihood of crash involvement compared to those with less exposure.
Under BTSCRP Project BTS-23, “Outcomes of Variability in Teen Driving Experience and Exposure: Evidence from the Naturalistic Driving Study,” Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was asked to:
- Evaluate how exposure to driving and driving in diverse environments during early driving impact safety outcomes later in driving for teen drivers
- Investigate whether driver behaviors are differentially associated withsafety outcomes and performance differences given different levels of supervised practice driving
- Develop recommendations and strategies for improving teen driver safetyfor SHSOs
The following deliverables are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org):
