Study explores ‘social norms’ of distracted driving among teens

A brand new research from Mass Common Brigham researchers gives a stark reminder of how pervasive cellphone use whereas driving is amongst younger individuals. The research workforce developed and disseminated a questionnaire to over 1,100 individuals and carried out 20 interviews for highschool college students to establish the components influencing them to interact in distracted driving. They discovered a mean of 21% of youngster drivers drive distracted and share different insights behind the habits. Their outcomes are printed in Site visitors Harm Prevention.

“Driving distracted would not simply put the motive force liable to harm or loss of life; it places everybody else on the highway at risk of an accident,” mentioned lead writer Rebecca Robbins, MSc, Ph.D., of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Problems at Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital.

“The findings from the research give us insights into the perceptions and beliefs from teenage drivers, which can be utilized to assist create efficient interventions to forestall distracted driving.”

The interviews and questionnaire responses indicated many younger drivers imagine their friends drive distracted, highlighting the perceived social norm of the habits.

“We discovered that whereas younger drivers acknowledge the benefits of utilizing smartphone options like GPS, in addition they perceive the heightened threat of accidents related to distracted driving,” mentioned Robbins. “Encouraging using ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, protecting telephones out of attain and making certain teenagers get ample sleep are efficient methods to mitigate this harmful habits.”