Rates and predictors of teen driver crash culpability

Elizabeth E O'Neal; Linder Wendt; Cara Hamann; Michelle Reyes; Jingzhen Yang; Corinne Peek-Asa

doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2023.05.009

Rates and predictors of teen driver crash culpability

J Safety Res. 2023 Sep:86:185-190. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2023.05.009. Epub 2023 May 23.

Authors

Elizabeth E O'Neal¹, Linder Wendt², Cara Hamann³, Michelle Reyes⁴, Jingzhen Yang⁵, Corinne Peek-Asa⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States. Electronic address: elizabeth-oneal@uiowa.edu.
² Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
³ College of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
⁴ National Advanced Driving Simulator, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
⁵ Center for Injury Research and Policy, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States.
⁶ University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.

PMID: 37718045
PMCID: PMC10505703 (available on 2024-09-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2023.05.009

Abstract

Background: Motor-vehicle crash risk is highest among teen drivers. Despite a wealth of research on the topic, there are still many contributors to these crashes that are not well understood. The current study sought to examine the contribution of graduated driver licensing (GDL) restrictions, sex, age, roadway circumstances, and citation history to teen drivers' crash culpability.

Method: Crash system data from the Iowa Department of Transportation were linked with traffic-related charges from the Iowa Court Information System. Crashes involving teens aged 14 to 17 years between 2016 and 2019 were analyzed (N = 19,847). Culpability was determined using the driver contributing circumstances from the crash report. Moving and non-moving traffic citations issued prior to the date of each crash were considered. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to examine predictors of crash culpability.

Results: Teen drivers were determined to be culpable for more than two thirds of crashes (N = 13,604, 68.54%). Culpability was more prevalent among males, younger teens, in rural areas, in the presence of reported roadway contributing circumstances, during hours of restricted nighttime driving, and among teens with citation histories that included both moving and non-moving citations. Similarly, multivariable model results indicated that the likelihood of culpability was higher among males, in rural areas, and at each stage of GDL compared to teen drivers with unrestricted licenses. While drivers with a history of both moving and non-moving violations were more likely to be culpable, those with a history of only moving or only non-moving violations were less likely to be culpable compared to those with no violation history.

Conclusion: Sex, crash location, and GDL stage were associated with teen driver crash culpability. A singular prior moving or non-moving violation may play a protective role in teen crash culpability.

Keywords: Crash culpability; Graduated drivers licensing; Novice teen drivers.

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Automobile Driving*
Humans
Iowa
Licensure
Logistic Models
Male
Probability

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding