141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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282269
Prevalence of secondary task engagement and distraction among novice teen drivers


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Johnathon P. Ehsani, PhD, Prevention Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Jessamyn Perlus, B.A., Prevention Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Ashley Russell, PhD, Prevention Research Branch, NICHD, Bethesda, MD
Kaigang Li, PhD, Prevention Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
Bruce Simons-Morton, EdD, MPH, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD
     
Background/Purpose: The majority of studies reporting novice drivers' secondary task engagement have focused on cell phone use while driving. However, other secondary tasks such as eating or reaching for an object, have also been shown to elevate novice teen drivers' crash risk. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of a range of secondary tasks during driving among novice teen drivers.

Methods: Self-reported questionnaire data from the NEXT Generation Health Study were analyzed to estimate the prevalence of a range of secondary tasks during driving in a nationally representative sample of eleventh grade students (N=2,439). Using the subsample of teens that reported having a license that allowed independent, unsupervised driving (n=881), the prevalence of talking, texting, drinking or eating, navigating, reading and grooming, and changing music while driving were estimated.

Results/Outcomes: Four out of five (80.0%) teen drivers reported talking on a cell phone and 72.0% reported texting at least one day in the past 30 days. Three out of four (74.9%) teen drivers reported eating or drinking while driving, 22.6% reported using a navigation system, and 16.9% reported reading or grooming while driving. Finally, 92.4% reported changing music on the radio or using an MP3, CD or other device while driving.

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest secondary task engagement while driving is highly prevalent and normative among novice teen drivers. A strategy to reduce behaviors that are known to increase crash risk for novice drivers, such as cell phone use and eating, is required.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate that secondary task engagement while driving among novice teen drivers extends beyond cell phone use. Describe the prevalence of cell phone use, eating, changing music, navigating, reading and grooming while driving among novice teen drivers.

Keyword(s): Adolescents, Injury Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an injury prevention researcher and I’ve worked in injury prevention research, ranging from childhood injury prevention, occupational injuries, and road safety, in a variety of settings, including Australia, China, Thailand, and the United States. More recently, my focus has been identifying the policies that that promote a safe driving environment. These include licensing policy, driver education and testing policies, and distracted driving policy.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4118.0: Secondary task engagement and driving: A growing issue in road safety