PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

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

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Diver-operated microscope brings hidden coral biology into focus

2025-07-03
The intricate, hidden processes that sustain coral life are being revealed through a new microscope developed by scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The diver-operated microscope — called the Benthic Underwater Microscope imaging PAM, or BUMP — incorporates pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) light techniques to offer an unprecedented look at coral photosynthesis on micro-scales.  In a new study, researchers describe how the BUMP imaging system makes it possible to study the health and physiology of coral reefs in their natural habitat, ...

Enhancing the “feel-good” factor of urban vegetation using AI and street view images

2025-07-03
Osaka, Japan – The benefits of urban green spaces in cities, in terms of ecological sustainability, climate modification, and human well-being, have been known for decades. More recently, additional economic and restorative payoffs from diverse and colorful plantings have been recognized. Now, a research team from Japan has developed a new method to identify vegetation color, structure, and seasonal changes in urban settings. In a study published in Landscape Ecology, researchers at The University of Osaka reveal an innovative approach to capture seasonal changes in urban plant species. This method combines artificial intelligence ...

A single genetic mutation may have made humans more vulnerable to cancer than chimpanzees

2025-07-03
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — New research from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered an evolutionary change that may explain why certain immune cells in humans are less effective at fighting solid tumors compared to non-human primates. This insight could lead to more powerful cancer treatments. The study was published in Nature Communications. It revealed a tiny genetic difference in an immune protein called Fas Ligand (FasL) between humans and non-human primates. This genetic mutation makes the FasL protein vulnerable to being disabled by plasmin, a tumor-associated ...

Innovative nanocomposite hydrogel shows promise for cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis treatment

2025-07-03
A research team from Northwest University, China, has developed a breakthrough nano-composite hydrogel system to address the dual challenges of inflammation and cartilage damage in osteoarthritis (OA), a leading cause of joint disability worldwide. Published in Engineering, the study confirms that the dual-drug-loaded hydrogel promotes cartilage repair through synergistic immune regulation and chondrocyte differentiation, offering a novel therapeutic strategy for OA. OA is characterized by persistent inflammation and impaired cartilage regeneration, with existing treatments failing ...

2025 Guangci Laboratory Medicine Innovation and Development Conference

2025-07-03
The 2025 Guangci Laboratory Medicine Innovation and Development Conference was successfully concluded at Shanghai Qingsongcheng Hotel during June 5-8, 2025! With the theme of "Innovation, Guidance, and Development", this conference successfully brought together nearly 100 well-known experts and scholars at home and abroad, and carried out in-depth dialogues and collisions of ideas around the cutting-edge hotspots in the field of clinical and laboratory medicine. Through diversified academic exchanges, the conference has built a high-level technology sharing and achievement display platform for laboratory medicine ...

LabMed Discovery is included in the ICI World Journals database

2025-07-03
In May 2025, under the review of the Polish ICI World of Journals (Copernicus Index Database), LabMed Discovery magazine was officially included in the ICI World of Journals database. This marks an important step for LabMed Discovery on the international academic stage, and is also a high recognition of the journal's long-term efforts in improving academic quality and promoting academic exchanges.   ICI World of Journals is the world's third largest scientific journal database, which includes and evaluates 45,000 journals from more than 150 countries and regions. The database adopts strict review standards and conducts multi-dimensional ...

LabMed Discovery is included in the China Open Access Journal (COAJ) database

2025-07-03
After rigorous evaluation and review, LabMed Discovery was officially included in China Open Access Journal Database (COAJ) in May 2025. This progress marks that LabMed Discovery has been officially recognized in terms of academic quality, publishing standards and open access. It is also another achievement of LabMed Discovery following being selected into the ICI international database this month. This proves the improvement of LabMed Discovery's academic communication and influence, and is of great significance in furthering the speed, breadth and visibility of the journal's international dissemination. We ...

Vaccination support program reduces pneumonia-related mortality by 25 percent among the elderly

2025-07-03
A research team has evaluated the real-world impact of a community-based pneumococcal vaccination support program for older adults conducted in Sera Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Their work is published in the Journal of Epidemiology on May 5, 2025. Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in Japan. Each year about 74,000 people die from pneumonia with 98 percent of these deaths occurring in people aged 65 and older. The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae is the primary cause of pneumonia. In October 2014, Japan began a nationwide routine vaccination program for the elderly under ...

Over decades, a healthy lifestyle outperforms metformin in preventing onset of Type 2 diabetes

2025-07-02
In the early 2000s the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a large randomized clinical trial, showed that intensive lifestyle modification was better than a medication called metformin at preventing at-risk patients from developing Type 2 diabetes. In a newly completed follow-up study, a team of researchers including Vallabh “Raj” Shah, professor emeritus in The University of New Mexico Departments of Internal Medicine and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the School of Medicine, found that the health benefits from the lifestyle intervention persisted more than 20 years later.Molecular Biology at the School of Medicine In a paper published in The ...

Mental health disorders, malaria, and heart disease most affected by covid pandemic

2025-07-02
Disrupted care during the covid-19 pandemic led to sharp increases in other non-covid causes of illness and death, particularly mental health disorders, malaria in young children, and stroke and heart disease in older adults, finds a study published by The BMJ today. For example, new cases of depressive disorders rose by 23% in 5-14 year-olds and malaria deaths rose by 14% in children under five years old from 2020-2021. The researchers say future responses to potential pandemics or other public health emergencies of international concern “must extend beyond infection control ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New CZI AI model could help scientists pinpoint signs of cancer cells

Sugar-coated ‘sticky’ stem cells could unlock surgery-free liver treatments

Children’s social media activity highlights emotional stress of living with long-term health issues

New tool maps hidden roles and risks in ecosystems

New breakthrough method to protect quantum spins from noise

Chemicals from turmeric and rhubarb could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria lurking in wastewater

Instant cancer diagnosis with light and AI!

New electroenzymatic strategy enables non-natural oxidation reactions

Tunable laser light

Scientists uncover magnetic-field control of ultrafast spin dynamics in 2D ferromagnets

New AI-powered model accurately predicts lung motion with minimal radiation

AI language models show promise in predicting liver cancer treatment outcomes

Tracking insect and bug health in a heartbeat from a digital camera

'Talking fish' not heard by conservation policies, SFU study warns

Thirty years of research shows increased resistance in fungi

Junk food ‘avoids advertising regulation’ with top level UK sports sponsorship

Banking on AI while committed to net zero is ‘magical thinking’, claims report on energy costs of big tech

Ancient river systems reveal Mars was wetter than we thought

Online toolkit to help parents of autistic children improve dental health

The psychological and neurological parallels between sports fandom and religious devotion

Agricultural liming in the US is a large CO2 sink, say researchers

Seaside more likely to make us nostalgic than green places, study finds

Psilocybin delays aging, extends lifespan, Emory study suggests

Buck Institute awarded DARPA contract to pioneer next-gen AI modeling platform

Orange is the new aphrodisiac—for guppies

Murals boost Cincinnati’s vitality, community development

Ad blockers may be showing users more problematic ads, NYU Tandon study finds

Verbal response time reveals hidden sleepiness in older adults

University of Maryland School of Medicine launches groundbreaking study on THC/CBD therapy for dementia-related agitation at end of life

Targeting stem-property and vasculogenic mimicry for sensitizing paclitaxel therapy of triple-negative breast cancer by biomimetic codelivery

[Press-News.org] 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