Dangerous Passengers?: Novice teen drivers' risk perceptions and behaviors

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens; a single passenger doubles the risk of fatal car crashes for teens, and 3 or more passengers increases the risk by 4-5 times. A better understanding of the relationship between teen driver's risk perceptions related to passengers and actual driving behaviors with dangerous passenger activity can inform design of critical prevention programs and policies. In this study, 625 14-17 year-olds from Pennsylvania or New Jersey participated in an online survey in 2008. Studied constructs included perceived risks of passenger behavior (i.e. of a passenger who is drunk and of driving with many teen passengers, or “piling”); frequency of driving with passengers; and frequency of driving with risky passenger behavior (i.e. driving friends who are using alcohol or marijuana, and piling). Correlation analyses showed significant relationships between risk perceptions and behaviors. Among licensed teen drivers, the perceived risk of a drunk passenger was significantly associated with frequency of driving friends who were using alcohol or marijuana (r=0.214, p<0.01). Those who perceived piling as dangerous were significantly less likely to drive with piling in the car (r=0.397, p<0.001). Possible opportunities to decrease teen drivers' acceptance of risky passenger behavior may involve targeting risk perceptions of these behaviors. The significant relationship between perceived risk and frequency of the studied driving behaviors can be used to inform intervention design and dissemination strategies. Successfully addressing risky passenger behavior may substantially contribute to prevention of future teen injuries and fatalities from motor vehicle crashes.