Teen driving in rural North Dakota: A qualitative look at parental perceptions

Abstract

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs allow new drivers to gain driving experience while protecting them from high-risk situations. North Dakota was one of the last states to implement GDL, and the current program does not meet all of the best practice recommendations. This study used qualitative techniques to explore parents' perceptions of the role teen driving plays in the daily lives of rural North Dakota families, their understanding of the risks faced by their novice teen drivers, and their support for GDL. A total of 28 interviews with parents of teens aged 13-16 years were conducted in four separate rural areas of the state. During the face-to-face interviews, parents described their teens' daily lives as busy, filled with school, sports, and other activities that often required traveling considerable distances. Participation in school-sponsored sports and other school-related activities was highly valued. There was nearly unanimous support for licensing teens at age 14½, as was permitted by law at the time of the interviews. Parents expressed that they were comfortable supervising their teen's practice driving, and few reported using resources to assist them in this role. Although few parents expressed concerns over nighttime driving, most HHS Public Access Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript parents supported a nighttime driving restriction with exemptions for school, work or sportsrelated activities. Despite many parents expressing concern over distracted driving, there was less consistent support among parents for passenger restrictions, especially if there would be no exemptions for family members or school activities. These findings can assist in planning policies and programs to reduce crashes among novice, teen drivers, while taking into account the unique perspectives and lifestyles of families living in rural North Dakota.

Parental perceptions of teen driving: Restrictions, worry and influence

“…However, we found that parents were more likely to worry “a lot” about their teen drivers and place more restrictions on them during the learner permit phase, during which the teen is required to have an adult supervisor in the vehicle, than when teens are newly licensed and able to drive independently under certain conditions. This finding is consistent with results of previous studies indicating that many parents lack awareness of the most high-risk situations for teen drivers (Gill, Shults, Cope, Cunningham, & Freelon, 2013). Because teens quickly develop basic vehicle handling skills, parents may mistakenly believe that their teen is ready to drive independently (Goodwin, Foss, Margolis, & Waller, 2010).…”

Texting/Emailing While Driving Among High School Students in 35 States, United States, 2015

“…Moreover, these five states had among the highest proportions of students who drove. Adolescents in these states are more likely to begin driving at younger ages than adolescents living in more densely populated states, and, because of the rural nature of the states, they may drive longer distances [27], thereby increasing the opportunity to engage in TWD.…”

Commentary on Cavazos‐Rehg and Colleagues: Selected State Policies and Associations with Alcohol Use Behaviors and Risky Driving Behaviors Among Youth—Findings from the Monitoring the Future Study

“…Given that enforcement of GDL conditions and restrictions is undertaken by police with finite resources, the success of GDL not only requires voluntary compliance by young drivers themselves, but also requires parents to act as pseudo‐enforcers by encouraging and monitoring compliance where and when possible (see also Voas and Kelley‐Baker, ). Pleasingly, research consistently demonstrates that, in general, parents and young drivers are supportive of GDL (e.g., parents supportive of nighttime driving restrictions [Gill et al., ]; teens supportive of nighttime driving restrictions, mobile phone restrictions, and passenger limits [Williams, ]).…”