Outcomes of Variability in Teen Driving Experience and Exposure: Evidence from the Naturalistic Driving Study (BTS-23)

Status: Complete (published as BTSCRP Research Report 13 in April 2025)

Teen drivers face elevated crash risks, yet their real‑world driving experience varies widely, which affects how they learn and how safely they drive. Understanding these differences is essential for improving teen driver programs and strengthening policies that support safer learning environments.

This project examined how teen driving experience and exposure differ across individuals and how those differences relate to safety outcomes. Using naturalistic driving data, the research analyzed real‑world driving behavior, including how often teens drove, the conditions they encountered and the types of risks they faced.

Among other findings, researchers found:

• Teens with more supervised driving practice during the learner’s permit phase have fewer crashes.
• Practicing driving at night or on unfamiliar routes reduces risky behaviors.
• Many teens don’t meet the requirement for 45 hours of driving during the permit phase. Using tracking apps may improve compliance.
• Speeding is common on both low- and high-speed roads.
• Parental involvement after licensure is low but beneficial.

This research reaffirms the critical role that parents and guardians – who are teens’ primary driving teachers and coaches – play in helping them build the skills they need to be safe behind the wheel. Fatalities in crashes involving young drivers (age 15-20) are on the rise. According to NHTSA data, 5,588 people died in crashes involving a young driver in 2023. That’s up 4.2% from 2022 and 27.3% above the pre-pandemic 2019 level.

GHSA has long highlighted how influential parents and guardians are in the development of their children’s safe driving behaviors. Our 2023 report, Young Drivers and Traffic Fatalities: 20 Years of Progress on the Road to Zero, recommends that young drivers receive supervised practices under a range of weather conditions, at night, on different roadways and in different vehicles.