UMTRI Project

Experimental Research on the Effect of Teenage Passengers on Teenage Driving Performance

Sponsor: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Investigators: C. Raymond Bingham, Jean T. Shope, Paul Green, David J. LeBlanc, James R. Sayer
09/22/2010 - 09/21/2014

Crash rates are highly elevated among teenage drivers during the first months of licensure. Although the effect of teenage passengers has been demonstrated with respect to teenage risky driving and crash risks, the extent to which this may be due to social influence or distraction (or both) is not understood. Therefore, this experimental research study aims to determine the effect of teenage passengers on teenage driving performance with particular emphasis on social norms and peer influences. This research will systematically examine practical and theoretical questions about social influences on teenage driving.