Teen girls becoming riskier drivers?

A recent study by the Allstate Foundation reported surprising findings among teen drivers in the U.S.

Among the survey’s results:

• Almost 1 in 4 teens (both genders) admit to driving while drinking.
• Nearly half of the girls surveyed admitted they are likely to speed by more than 16kph over the speed limit; for boys the figure was 36%
• More girls describe their own driving as “aggressive”, up from 9% to 16% over only 4 years.  By contrast, boys showed a marked decrease in the same period.
• Over 40% of teens will not speak up if they feel unsafe as a passenger, with girls less likely to voice concern than boys.
• Texting while behind the wheel was practiced by 49%, but was much higher for girls than boys.  (Texting and cell phone use has now been outlawed in Ontario for all drivers since October 2009; however, after a “grace period”, police began laying charges Feb.1^st.  During February, the OPP laid 470 charges and issued 468 warnings.)

Although the survey findings represent U.S drivers, it is believed that the cultural and behavioural influences are sufficiently consistent to expect similar results among Canadian teens.

The sad reality – riskier conduct while behind the wheel will inevitably result in highway tragedies with greater frequency and increased severity.