Number 318 September 2006

Traffic Safety Facts

Traffic Tech – Technology Transfer Series

Teen Unsafe Driving Behaviors: Focus Group

U.S. Department of Transportation 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

For 15- to 20-year-olds, motor vehicle crashes are the

leading cause of death, accounting for approximately

one-third of all deaths for this age group. The high

crash-involvement rate for this age is primarily due

to teen’s lack of maturity and driving experience coupled with their overconfidence and risk-taking behaviors. Some of the high risk behaviors include failure 

to wear safety belts, speeding, and driving while impaired (by alcohol or other 

drugs), drowsy, or distracted. Additionally, this age group is particularly susceptible to distractions, including other 

passengers in the vehicle and electronic

devices.

The National Organizations for Youth

Safety (NOYS) worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to identify messages and communication strategies for counteracting these

dangerous driving behaviors among 

teenage motorists and passengers between the ages of 15 and 18.

Methods

To provide geographic and ethnic diversity, focus

group discussion took place in four cities: Fort Lee, NJ;

Seattle, WA; Minneapolis, MN; Atlanta, GA. Screeners were used to recruit participants. Focus groups

addressed the following research issues: 1) Explanations for behaviors and which behaviors are most 

amenable to modifications; 2) Message themes that 

would be most effective and well received; 3) Delivery 

mechanisms participants recommend NHTSA and its

partner organizations consider given the diversity of

the target population.

Findings

Some of the highlights of findings from the Teen Driver Focus Group include:

n Driver Licensing: The focus group participants did

not like the restrictions placed on their driving.

However, when pressed most did acknowledge that the programs were

probably a good idea for brand new 

drivers.

n	 Impaired Driving: In all four cities, focus group participants reported

having no memory of any drunk-driving related messages. They reported

that they felt bombarded with antimarijuana ads, which they discounted

as being “lame.” Additionally, most 

participants believed that marijuana 

does not impair their driving. They

also did not see anything wrong with

underage drinking, and saw very little

wrong with driving after having consumed a beer or 

two. While judgment is often impaired when driving,

many teens believed that they could tell when they are 

too drunk to drive. 

n Enforcement: When asked about enforcement, 

many focus group participants reported that they

could get out of getting a ticket by begging, crying, 

or being nice. One teen reported that he was in a 

car driven by someone who had been drinking and 

they were pulled over. Even though the teenage

driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 

.08, the officer just drove them to the driver’s home 

and turned them over to the parents with a lecture

instead of a DWI citation. Several teens with the 

QUOTES FROM FOCUS 

GROUP PARTICIPANTS 

WHO REPORTED TO 

HAVE RIDDEN WITH A 

DRUNK DRIVER

◆ “The person did not seem 

drunk.”

◆ “He knows his limits and 

	 would not drive if he felt he

was too drunk.”

◆ “I didn’t have a license so there 

was no choice.”
TRAFFIC TECH is a publication to disseminate information about traffic safety programs, including evaluations, 

innovative programs, and new publications. Feel free to 

copy it as you wish. If you would like to receive a copy, contact Melissa Cheung, MPH, Editor, fax 202-366-7096, e-mail: 

melissa.cheung@dot.gov.

400 Seventh Street SW., NTI-130

Washington, DC 20590

worst driving records reported that their biggest 

fear was getting a ticket because it put their license 

in jeopardy.

n Safety Belts: In all four cities, focus group participants were aware of the Click It or Ticket campaign.

As a result, fear of enforcement was the only reason some could offer for wearing a safety belt. 

Many participants reported that they only would

put their safety belts on when they saw a police officer.

n Speeding and Aggressive Driving: Focus group

participants reported they did not consider driving five or ten miles above the speed limit to be 

dangerous. Instead, they perceive it as just keeping up with traffic, as they were advised to do in 

Driver’s Education. Participants also reported ignoring anti-speeding campaigns and enforcement

efforts. 

n	 Distracted Driving: When asked about distracted 

driving, participants did not see the relationship

between the numerous things that distract them 

in their cars and their high rate of minor fenderbender type crashes. A high percentage of crashes 

reported by the teens involved rear-ending a car 

that had stopped while the teen driver was looking away from the road. Cell phones are also not 

perceived as a serious risk by most teens, yet they 

complain about other drivers who do stupid things 

while talking on their cell phones. Another factor

that focus groups discussed related to distracted

driving was music. Participants commented that 

music plays a huge part in a teenager’s life, especially when they are driving, and the prospect of a

trip with no music is almost intolerable. 

n	 Drowsy Driving: The majority of focus group respondents reported experiencing severe sleepiness

often due to tough school schedules and social interests. Additionally, the participants said they

still use cars to get from place to place no matter

how little sleep they have had. 

n Message Content and Style: Focus groups suggested that the current generation of new drivers

needs to hear factual messages about drunk driving and safety belt use. Comments from focus 

group participants also suggested that messages

aimed at teens should avoid preaching or telling

teens what to do, and concentrate on providing the

teens with facts on which to base their decisions. 

n Delivery Mechanisms: Focus group participants

also commented that they equate importance with

production values and saturation. If a message is

important they expect it to show up everywhere,

on TV, on the radio, in billboards, in the movies, in 

posters, and in news stories.

Conclusion

While this study provided extensive insight into unsafe driving behaviors in teens, recommendations for 

messages and delivery systems, development efforts

should not be based solely on focus group studies. 

More quantitative research should be conducted to 

determine the relationship between the unsafe behaviors identified in this study and traffic crashes for 

teens between the ages of 15 and 18. 

How to Order

To order Teen Unsafe Driving Behaviors: Focus 

Group Final Report (44 pages), developed by PerformTech, write to the Office of Communications, 

NHTSA, NPO-500, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590, fax 202-366-7096 or download from 

www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Lori Gabrielle Millen was the 

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative for 

this project.