Citation

Kelley-Baker T, Voas RB. Transp. Res. Circular 2009; (E-C132): 85-92.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The initiation of teen driving, which usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 17, has been studied primarily in relation to crash-injury reduction. Because of the increased opportunities for risk-taking behaviors, this particular age (15–17), when teens begin to drive without parental supervision and to ride with peers, may be one of the most important periods in the development between puberty and emerging adulthood. Gaining access to vehicles increases adolescents’ and young adults’ mobility, thus possibly facilitating experimentation with risky behaviors. This hypothesis may be particularly true in the United States, where geographic distances are greater than in Europe and where public transportation is not a well-developed alternative. In this paper, the authors refer to this period as “transition teens”. Some recent evidence supports this understudied area. The most directly relevant study, conducted by McCarthy and Brown, found that obtaining a driver’s license was associated over the long term with an increase in the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. Researchers have largely ignored this area of research, however, perhaps because of data limitations (e.g., until recently, most national surveys on the risky behaviors of teenagers did not include information on motor-vehicle availability and usage). Thus, it was formerly impossible to measure directly the effect of motor-vehicle access and exposure to nonhighway health risks, such as alcohol and drug use and other risky behaviors (e.g., sex, violence).