Teens and Distracted Driving

Texting, talking and other uses of the 
cell phone behind the wheel

November 16, 2009

Mary Madden, Senior Research Specialist
Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist

View Online:
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Teens­and­Distracted­Driving.aspx

Pew Internet & American Life Project
An initiative of the Pew Research Center
1615 L St., NW – Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20036
202­419­4500 | pewinternet.org
 Overview
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Introduction
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The highest incidence of distracted driving 
occurs in the under­20 age group

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One high­school aged boy said he thinks texting 
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;&70:`"2(.;"&0,"+.;;),"2/9&&)"M&C@"_ud9.),v"/()).03"C&=T-,"2J))"+&21)C"'&/=2,;"M=1"C&="/&=);"
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29,"=2,2"19,"89&0,"u.0v"(0",+,-3,0/C:"UT+"0&1"7&--.,;"(2"+=/9@`

Distracted drivers with teens as passengers
*+&03"())"1,,02"(3,2"4564#:"HE%"2(C"19,C"9(>,"M,,0".0"("/(-"79,0"19,";-.>,-"7(2"1,?J03@"K9,"
&);,-"1,,02".0"&=-"2(+8),"-,8&-1,;"("9.39,-".0/.;,0/,"&'"19.2",?8,-.,0/,D"79.),"G5%"&'"1,,02"
(3,2"4564G"2(C"19,C"9(>,"M,,0"8(22,03,-2".0"("/(-"79.),"19,";-.>,-"7(2"1,?J03"(1"19,"79,,):"
$$%"&'"19&2,"(3,2"4H64#"-,8&-1"19.2@"W&&B.03"&0)C"(1"19&2,"79&"(-,"&'";-.>.03"(3,x4<"(0;"4#"
C,(-6&);2x19,"-(1,"X=+82"1&"<H%@"
8(3,"<
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=2,;"19,"/,))"89&0,".0"("7(C"19(1"8=1"19,+2,)>,2"&-"&19,-2".0";(03,-@"k&=-".0"1,0"1,,02"FHN%I"
2(.;"19,C"9(;"M,,0".0"("-.2BC"2.1=(J&0").B,"19.2@"y&=03,-"1,,02"(3,2"4564G"(-,"3,0,-())C"),22").B,)C"
1&"2(C"19,C"9(>,"M,,0".0"("/(-"7.19"(";-.>,-"79&"=2,;"("/,))"89&0,".0"(";(03,-&=2"7(CD"GH%"
-,8&-1"19.2:"/&+8(-,;"7.19"H5%"&'"19&2,"(3,2"4H64#@"K,,02"&'";-.>.03"(3,"F4<64#I"(-,"19,"+&21"
).B,)C"1&"-,8&-1"19.2",?8,-.,0/,D"HE%"9(>,"M,,0"("8(22,03,-".0"("/(-"7.19"(";-.>,-"79&"=2,;"("/,))"
89&0,".0"("-.2BC"7(C@"

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19,";.21-(/1,;";-.>,-@"K9,"1,,02"79&"7,-,".01,->.,7,;".0"19,"89&0,"2=->,C"/&=);"M,"-,8&-J03"
,?8,-.,0/,2"(2"8(22,03,-2"7.19"(;=)1";-.>,-2"&-"&19,-"1,,0";-.>,-2@"U0;,,;:"(2"0&1,;"(M&>,:".0"
19,"'&/=2"3-&=8"2,p03:"+(0C"1,,02"-,)(C,;"(//&=012"&'"19,.-"8(-,012"&-"&19,-"(;=)1"-,)(J>,2"
1,?J03"(0;"1()B.03"79.),";-.>.03@"d9.),"19.2"7(2"/(=2,"'&-"/&0/,-0"'&-"2&+,:"&19,-2"',)1"19(1"
19,.-"8(-,012"(0;"&19,-2"7,-,"_3&&;";-.>,-2`"79&"/&=);"+(0(3,"19,.-"89&0,2"2(',)C@

“[My dad] drives like he’s drunk. His phone is just like 
sitting right in front of his face, and he puts his knees on 
5"%&?4554:&4@&5"%&,5%%(#*+&!"%%$&1*'&5(#%,&54&5%A5>0&

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+.;;),"2/9&&)6(3,;"M&C"7-&1,a"_U"(+"/&0/,-0,;"M,/(=2,"79,0"+C"+&+";-.>,2"29,"1()B2"&0"19,"
89&0,"(")&1"2&"29,".2"2J))"(),-1"M=1"29,"/(0"3,1"B.0;"&'";(03,-&=2@`"*0&19,-"]19b4N19"3-(;,"M&C"
2(.;"_y,(9"u+C";(;v"9,";-.>,2").B,"9,T2";-=0B@"L.2"89&0,".2"X=21").B,"2.p03"-.391".0"'-&01"&'"9.2"
'(/,:"(0;"9,"8=12"9.2"B0,,2"&0"19,"M&Z&+"&'"19,"21,,-.03"79,,)"(0;"1-.,2"1&"1,?1@`"

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7(2"21-.B.03:"(0;"2=33,21,;"19(1:".0"+(0C"/(2,2:"1,?J03"79.),";-.>.03".2"("'(+.)C"(q(.-@"d9,0"&0,"
+.;;),"2/9&&)6(3,;"M&C"7(2"(2B,;"9&7"&z,0"9,"7(2".0"("+&>.03">,9./),"79,0"19,";-.>,-"2,0;2"
("1,?1"+,22(3,:"9,"-,8).,;a"_*))"19,"J+,@"cC"+&+:"2.21,-"&-"M-&19,-"7.))"2.1"M,9.0;"19,"79,,)"
19,"79&),"J+,"(0;"X=21"1,?1"(7(C@`"P.+.)(-)C:"("+.;;),"2/9&&)"3.-)"1&);"=2a"_cC"=0/),"7.))";-.>,"
(0;"1,?1"79.),"9,".2";-.>.03"{"9,"7.))"1,?1"0&"+(Z,-"79,-,"9,".2@`

-2&'4*85&(%1$$;&+%5&!4((#%'&?%613,%&%)%(;4*%&'4%,&#5/0&4*% 
middle school­aged girl wrote. “And when my mother 
is texting and driving I don’t really make a big deal 
?%613,%&!%&B4<%&1(43*'&!#5"&"%(&1?435&#50

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/(=2,"7,"X&B,"(-&=0;"7.19"9,-"(M&=1".1"F/=j"29,T2"("/-(jC";-.>,-I"M=1"7,";&0T1"1(B,".1"2&"2,-.&=2@`

K,?J03"7(2"0&1"19,"&0)C"/(=2,"'&-"/&0/,-0"(+&03"19,"1,,02"79&"8(-J/.8(1,;".0"&=-"'&/=2"
3-&=82@"d,"()2&"9,(-;"(M&=1"19,";.21-(/J&02"&'";-.>,-2"1-C.03"1&"(//,22"l)&M()"Q&2.J&0.03"PC26

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M=1"79,0"9,";-.>,2:"9,"9(2"("lQP"&0"9.2"\)(/BM,--C:"2&"79,0"9,T2";-.>.03:"9,")&&B2";&70"(1"9.2"
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cC"+&+"()7(C2"3,12"&0"9.+"(M&=1"9&7".1T2"=02(',"(0;"21=q@`

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m>,-C"J+,|`"*0&19,-"9.39"2/9&&)"(3,"3.-)"7-&1,a"_cC"2.21,-";&,2".1";,28.1,"+C"+&19,-T2"7(-06
.032:"2&";&,2"+C"M-&19,-"(0;"+C"'-.,0;2";,28.1,"+C"7(-0.032@`

Teen texters are more likely than non­texters to be a 
passenger of a distracted driver.
K,,02"(3,2"4564#"79&"=2,"1,?1"+,22(3.03"-,8&-1"("9.39,-".0/.;,0/,"&'"M,.03"8(22,03,-2"79,0"
19,";-.>,-".2"1,?J03"&-"&19,-7.2,"=2.03"19,"/,))"89&0,".0"(";(03,-&=2"7(C@"*+&03"())"1,,0"1,?6
1,-2:"$E%"2(C"19,C"9(>,"M,,0".0"("/(-"79.),"19,";-.>,-"7(2"1,?J03@"K9(1"/&+8(-,2"7.19"X=21"5E%"
&'"0&061,?J03"1,,02@"P.+.)(-)C:"HH%"&'"1,?J03"1,,02"2(C"19,C"9(>,"M,,0".0"("/(-"79,0"19,";-.>,-"
7(2"=2.03"("/,))"89&0,".0"("7(C"19(1"8=1"19,+2,)>,2"&-"&19,-2".0";(03,-:"79.),"G4%"&'"0&061,?6
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19,.-"/,))"89&0,2"79.),"(1"19,"79,,)@"k=))C"#G%"&'"1,?J03"1,,02"(3,2"4<64#"9(>,"M,,0".0"("/(-"
79,0"19,";-.>,-"7(2"1,?J03@"L()'"F$5%I"2(C"19,C"9(>,"M,,0".0"("/(-"79,0"19,";-.>,-"=2,;"("/,))"
89&0,".0"(";(03,-&=2"7(C@

“I’ll snatch the phone out of your hands – don’t be driving 
#*&5"%&61(&!#5"&:%&1*'&'4#*+&5"15/0&4*%&"#+"&,6"44$&?4;&,1#'> 
-2&!1*5&54&$#)%&3*5#$&5"%&%*'&4@&5"#,&61(&(#'%>0

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(0;"(03-C"(M&=1"M,.03",0;(03,-,;@"A0,"9.39"2/9&&)"M&C"7(2"(2B,;"(M&=1"-.;.03"7.19";-.>,-2"
79&"1,?1a"_e&1".'"19,C"B0&7"79(1T2"3&&;"'&-"19,+@"UT))"20(1/9"19,"89&0,"&=1"&'"C&=-"9(0;2"{"
;&0T1"M,";-.>.03".0"19,"/(-"7.19"+,"(0;";&.03"19(1rU"7(01"1&").>,"=0J)"19,",0;"&'"19.2"/(-"-.;,@`"

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+(;,"(0;"-,/,.>,;"/())2"()+&21",>,-C"J+,"UT>,";-.>,0@`"*0&19,-"9.39"2/9&&)"M&C"7-&1,a"_U"7&--C"
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8(3,"]
Acknowledgements 
K9(0B2"1&"R./9"W.03"&'"K,),0&-"(0;"P/&Z"S(+8M,))"&'"19,"O0.>,-2.1C"&'"c./9.3(0:"&=-"8(-10,-2"&0"
19.2"8-&X,/1"'&-"19,.-"9(-;"7&-B"(0;".02.3912@"K9(0B2:"1&&:"1&"L,),0"L&:"m)).&1"Q(0,B:"e(1"Q&&-"(0;"
^(19-C0"•./B=9-"'&-"19,.-"7&-B"&0"19,"'&/=2"3-&=82"(0;"3-(89./2".0"19.2"-,8&-1@

About the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American 
Life Project
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=8"19,"Q,7"R,2,(-/9"S,01,-:"("0&08(-J2(0:"0&08-&[1"_'(/1"1(0B`"19(1"8-&>.;,2".0'&-+(J&0"&0"
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/&++=0./(J&02"1,/90&)&3.,2@"U1";&,2"0&1",0;&-2,"1,/90&)&3.,2:".0;=21-C"2,/1&-2:"/&+8(0.,2:"
0&08-&[1"&-3(0.j(J&02:"&-".0;.>.;=()2@

Methodology
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89&0,2"(0;"]"'&/=2"3-&=82"/&0;=/1,;".0"H"O@P@"/.J,2"M,17,,0"f=0,"(0;"A/1&M,-"5NN]"7.19"
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'-&+"1,),89&0,".01,->.,72"/&0;=/1,;"MC"Q-.0/,1&0"P=->,C"R,2,(-/9"U01,-0(J&0()"M,17,,0"f=0,"
5<"(0;"P,81,+M,-"5H:"5NN]:"(+&03"("2(+8),"&'"ENN"1,,02"(3,2"4564#"(0;"("8(-,01"&-"3=(-;6
.(0@""k&-"-,2=)12"M(2,;"&0"19,"1&1()"2(+8),:"&0,"/(0"2(C"7.19"]$%"/&0[;,0/,"19(1"19,",--&-"
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/&+8),1,"2,1"&'"7,.391,;";(1(@""U0"(;;.J&0"1&"2(+8).03",--&-:"Y=,2J&0"7&-;.03"(0;"8-(/J/()"
;.g/=)J,2".0"/&0;=/J03"1,),89&0,"2=->,C2"+(C".01-&;=/,"2&+,",--&-"&-"M.(2".01&"19,"[0;.032"
&'"&8.0.&0"8&))2@

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())"1,,02"(0;"19,.-"8(-,012".0"19,"/&0J0,01()"O0.1,;"P1(1,2"79&"9(>,"(//,22"1&",.19,-"(")(0;).0,"

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).21,;"1,),89&0,"9&=2,9&);2"'-&+"(/J>,"M)&/B2"F(-,("/&;,"€",?/9(03,"€"17&6;.3.1"M)&/B"0=+6
M,-I"19(1"/&01(.0,;"19-,,"&-"+&-,"-,2.;,0J()";.-,/1&-C").2J032@"K9,"/,))=)(-"2(+8),"7(2"0&1").216
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Parent/Teen Cell Phone Survey 2009  Final Revised Topline        10/1/09
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K45  Have you ever experienced or done any of the following? 
  (First,) have you ever [INSERT IN ORDER]?

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Item C: Based on teens ages 16‐17 who use their cell phone to text [N=222]
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Item D: Based on teen cell users ages 16‐17 [N=242]
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