Aggression on the Rise for Female Teen Drivers

March 26, 2010 - PRLog -- In what may seem like a reversal in roles, teen girls are displaying increased aggression behind the wheel more than their male counterparts. According to The Allstate Foundation’s latest study, “Shifting Teen Attitudes: The State of Teen Driving 2009,” risky behavior while driving including speeding, aggression and texting is trending upward for teen girls across the nation but appears to be softening for teen boys.
“These results are consistent with a growing trend among adolescents, said Dr. Allan Williams, former Chief Scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “As more young women participate in activities like competitive sports and take on a more assertive lifestyle, they are narrowing the gender gap when it comes to risk taking in all aspects of their life.”

Key findings from the study include:
•   27 percent of girls admit to speeding 10+ miles over the speed limit versus 19 percent of boys
•   One in four girls say that they frequently read/write texts/emails while driving compared to 15 percent of boys
•   16 percent of teen girls report that they are very aggressive while driving in 2009 while only 9 percent reported that this was the case in 2005
•   13 percent of teen boys report that they are very aggressive while driving in 2009 compared to 20 percent in 2005

“Distracted behaviors aren’t the only risks that teens are engaging in behind the wheel,” added Allstate NY spokesperson Krista Conte. Nearly one of four teens (23 percent) admit to drinking while driving and 20 percent of teens say they’ve ridden in a car when the driver had been drinking.”

Car crashes remain the number one killer of American teens. Most car crashes involving teens are preventable – caused by speeding, driver error and distractions. The Allstate Foundation recommends the following five steps to help keep teens safer on the road:

1.   Create a Parent-Teen Driving Contract to help parents and teens agree upon a set of driving rules and the consequences of breaking them. A contract can be downloaded at www.allstateteendrivier.com.
2.   Prepare Your Teen Driver by setting good examples behind the wheel such as obeying traffic laws, eliminating distractions and always wearing your seatbelt.
3.   Know Your State’s Graduated Drivers Licensing Laws so you can review and enforce them with your teen.
4.   Get Your Teen Involved in the safe driving issue by educating them on the impact of teen driving deaths and the gravity of the teen driving epidemic. Teens and parents can visit www.keepthedrive.org to learn more about the issue and to hear how car crashes have impacted other teen drivers.
5.   Protect Yourself by making sure you have the right insurance coverage before your teen gets behind the wheel.

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The Allstate Corporation  is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow.