Study explores the ‘social norms’ of distracted driving among teens

The findings from the Mass General Brigham study reveal insights as to why teens behave this way behind the wheel

2025-07-03

(Press-News.org) A new study from Mass General Brigham researchers offers a stark reminder of how pervasive cell phone use while driving is among young people. The study team developed and disseminated a questionnaire to over 1,100 participants and conducted 20 interviews for high school students to identify the factors influencing them to engage in distracted driving. They found an average of 21% of teen drivers drive distracted and share other insights behind the behavior. Their results are published in Traffic Injury Prevention.

“Driving distracted doesn’t just put the driver at risk of injury or death; it puts everyone else on the road in danger of an accident,” said lead author Rebecca Robbins, MSc, PhD, of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of Mass General Brigham. “The findings from the study give us insights into the perceptions and beliefs from teenage drivers, which can be used to help create effective interventions to prevent distracted driving.”

The interviews and questionnaire responses indicated many young drivers believe their peers drive distracted, highlighting the perceived social norm of the behavior.

“We found that while young drivers recognize the advantages of using smartphone features like GPS, they also understand the heightened risk of accidents associated with distracted driving,” said Robbins. “Encouraging the use of ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, keeping phones out of reach and ensuring teens get adequate sleep are effective strategies to mitigate this dangerous behavior."

Authorship: In addition to Robbins, Mass General Brigham authors include Stuart F. Quan, Matthew D. Weaver, Laura K. Barger and Charles A. Czeisler

Disclosures: Robbins reports consulting fees from Sonesta Hotels international, byNacht GmbH, Oura Ring, One Care Media. Additional disclosures can be found in the paper.

Funding: This work was supported by the Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation.

Paper cited: Schmickler J. M., et. al. “Designing and validating a questionnaire to understand beliefs, intentions, and behaviors related to distracted driving in young people.” Traffic Injury Prevention. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2025.2493301

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