Many Teens Overestimate Driving Skills Despite Awareness of Distraction Risks

New national survey of teens reveals how they perceive risk and parents' influence

Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2025) - More than a third of young drivers reported recently using a smartphone while driving, with about half of them reporting they regularly texted while driving, despite awareness of the inherent risk. The new research, conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation USA, Inc. (TIRF USA) on behalf of the National Distracted Driving Coalition (NDDC) and supported by State Farm^®, involved an anonymous survey of more than 1,200 young drivers about distraction and other risky driving behaviors, the role of parental and peer influences, and motivations playing a role in distracted driving.

"Teens aged 16 to 19 have a higher crash risk than any other age group of drivers," says Robyn Robertson, NDDC Chair and Secretary of the Board at TIRF USA. "Inexperience can lead teens to overestimate their driving abilities and think nothing bad could happen. Unfortunately, this isn't the reality and in fact, road crashes are a leading cause of death for young people. With this study, we wanted to understand the types of risks teens are taking, specific knowledge gaps, and which strategies are most effective for changing behavior."

Device use while driving

Researchers surveyed young drivers aged 14-20 in 25 states and Washington, D.C., about their driving habits and perceptions of risk associated with different behaviors. About two-thirds of respondents had not interacted with their device while driving over the last 30 days. But among those who had, about half reported texting while driving at least a few days per week, and one-quarter reported doing so every day. About a third of those interacting with their device indicated they accessed social media while driving at least a few times per week, and about a third reported regularly using navigation functionality. Twenty-three percent indicated they regularly watched video content while driving.

Perceptions of risky behaviors

The majority of respondents identified texting, using social media, and taking selfies as among the most distracting behaviors. Activities considered less distracting included eating/drinking and interacting with passengers, as well as using GPS navigation, suggesting a lack of understanding about the demands of this complex task. Results also revealed many young drivers weren't aware of the cognitive demands of using hands-free applications, with many reporting regular use of talk-to-text features.