By Connor Loughran ’15

A recent study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and published in the Washington Post reported that 58 percent of accidents involving teens were caused by distracted driving—four times greater than last year. The study, which analyzed 1700 different videos of car accidents involving teens, showed that driver interaction with passengers accounted for 15 percent of the accidents, and cellphone use 12 percent.

“The situation is made worse by the fact that young drivers have spent less time behind the wheel and cannot draw upon their previous experience to manage unsafe conditions,” said Bob Darbelnet, the chief executive officer of AAA, in the recent Washington Post article.

Although it has been known that distracted driving can lead to accidents, the study “provides indisputable evidence that teen drivers are distracted in a much greater percentage of crashes than we previously realized,” according to Pete Kissinger, the president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In 2013, federal data showed that about 963,000 teen drivers were involved in accidents, which causes 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths, according to the Washington Post.

The study was conducted using a video technology produced by a company called Lytx that parents can install in their teens’ cars to monitor their driving habits and provide evidence for insurance reasons. The system is also used by over 500 commercial and government agencies to monitor the driving of their employees.

AAA recommends that states pass laws against distracted driving, and create graduated license systems. Currently, Maryland and Virginia both have laws against texting or using a cellphone while driving, with the exception of hands-free devices, and both states have graduated licensing programs.