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What Are They Thinking?
In a study published in the May issue of Pediatrics, 5,665 kids in grades 10 through 12 were asked to rate the riskiness of such behaviors as drinking, having unruly passengers, using cellphones and text messaging, and speeding, all of which we grown-ups know can pose grave risks to all drivers, including teens. The kids also were asked how often they had witnessed such behaviors.
While many of the respondents ranked lack of experience as a middling risk factor, they overwhelmingly reported that they'd rarely seen a teen driver who was inexperienced. The researchers note that teens likely equate "experience" with the mere fact of having acquired a license.
According to the teens, talking on a cellphone while driving wasn't all that risky, but text messaging was extremely risky, ranking right up there with racing.
Having adolescent passengers barely registered as risky, but when those passengers start "acting wild," they become very risky indeed.
Nearly all the teens surveyed recognized drinking and driving as a very high-risk proposition, but very few reported having seen anyone drink and drive.
-- Jennifer Huget
DCer wrote:
