Based on analyses from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, covering the period 2007-11, the months of June, July and August see significantly more traffic accidents and fatalities among teen drivers than December, January and February. NHTSA findings showed that during the June-August period in 2011, there were a total of 358 teen motorist fatalities, versus 271 during December-February.
Nevertheless, a recent survey in the U.S. by Penn Schoen Berland, commissioned by Ford Motor Company, revealed that 66 per cent of teens and 58 per cent of parents still believe that winter is the most dangerous time of year when it comes to driving.
The survey also revealed that distracted driving is a growing concern among parents of teenagers, in fact, 62 per cent of teen drivers surveyed admitted to being distracted by others in the car, while 61 per cent admitted to eating or drinking while behind the wheel.
Nevertheless, only 26 per cent of parents surveyed said they enforce driving rules or restrict cell phone use for teens.
The survey also revealed that teenage girls were deemed to be safer drivers than teenage boys. The latter were seen as more aggressive behind the wheel, based on 87 per cent of girls, 78 per cent of parents and 73 per cent of boys surveyed. Boys were also considered more likely to speed and more likely to drink and drive. Teenage girls, however, were considered more likely to use their cell phones while driving, based on 81 per cent of boys, 78 per cent of girls and 67 per cent of parents surveyed.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that despite lower overall risk of behaviour, parents were still 40 per cent more likely than their teenage children to check their cell phones while driving.
