What is the current teen driving culture?
March 31, 2010
It is well understood that drivers ages 16 – 20 are at a much high risk rate than older drivers. But what are the causes of the higher crash statistics, and how does the current relationship between adolescence and their parent’s impact teens’ decisions and driving abilities? What are the dangers that parents should watch for and how protective should we be of our young loved ones? It is worth spending time on the current culture and habits of our nation’s teenagers.
Current teens learning to drive belong to “Generation Z” or the “iGeneration”, this generation is highly connected and familiar with the internet and newer technologies. Generation Z is perceived to be the first generation where parents and children embrace technology together. There is an increasing affect taking place where youth are constantly judged by their peers. Schools are filled with stereotypical cliques and peer pressure that can cause adolescence to partake in activities they normally would not participate in.
Studies by developmental psychologists have shown that most adolescence prefer to be around their friends than their parents. However, parents are a larger motivator when learning to drive, than peers. These studies have also shown that young drivers are more likely to use driving as a means to “blow off steam” or an activity in response to negative emotions. It is found that parents’ boundaries are very important in setting a level of responsibility for younger drivers.Youth mimic parents’ habits easily while they are learning more about themselves.
It is common for teenagers to position driving itself as an activity to do with friends. There are three main reasons for this:
1) They have a chance to get away from their usual (more monitored) locations like school and home.
2) The inherited control of learning how to drive is exciting.
3) Parents are paying for gas.
This makes driving a higher percentage of time than it should be for new drivers, and also encourages multiple teens to be in the same car without an adult.
Teens tend to associate their experience with how long they have been driving, not how much time they have spent behind the wheel. There lack of experience and likelihood of falling prey to distractions make driving a dangerous activity. However, there are programs and associations across America whose main goal is to increase safety on our streets.
