The Influence of Peers and the Media: Motor Vehicles and Safety Precautions Amanda McGoye

What is Expected What is Influenced When driving a vehicle, teens and adults alike are expected to leave their phones untouched, and are encouraged to pull off the road into a safe area if they need to use the phone. Teens and adults are encouraged not to eat and drive. Teens and adults are encouraged to keep the volume on their radios and other devices such as iPod USBs to a minimum level in order to allow better hearing for emergency vehicles in addition to better driver awareness. Street races/aggressive driving is prohibited. Drinking and driving is illegal. Drivers should carry as few passengers as possible to limit distractions. Objects dangling from mirrors and excessive bumper stickers are unnecessary and can obstruct views. Changes as a result of media/peer influence Media and other peers in addition to phone addictions and better technology result in the need to use phones and other devices, even when driving. Fast food and strained schedules result in excessive eating and driving, preventing drivers from fully focusing on the road. As seen in movies and other media, loud music makes for “more entertaining” car rides with friends. Aggressive driving gets the point across to other drivers while street racing is a way to prove yourself to friends and is seen in many movies. Drinking and driving is one of the top causes of motor vehicle related deaths and injuries. Objects dangling from mirrors and bumper stickers allow you to add personality to your car.

The Dangers of Peer and Media Influence Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for year-olds, accounting for approximately 5,500 occupant fatalities annually. Each year, approximately 450,000 teenagers are injured, and 27,000 of them require hospitalization. Of those killed, approximately 63% are drivers and 37% are passengers. It is normal for adolescents to take chances, due to peer pressures, causing them to overestimate their abilities, and have emotional mood swings. Males seem to be at especially high risk, possibly as a result of social norms and media images that equate fast driving and ability to perform difficult driving maneuvers as masculine. With adolescent drivers, the chance of being involved in a car crash is directly proportional to the number of teenaged passengers being transported. Compared with driving alone, year-olds have a 40% increased risk of crashing when they have 1 friend in the car, double the risk with 2 passengers, and almost 4 times the risk with 3 or more teenaged passengers. In addition to general distraction, intentional encouragement of risky driving behavior and other social interactions may play a role. For both male and female teenaged drivers, the presence of a male passenger results in faster speeds and more risky driving behaviors than does the presence of a female passenger. A variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as sedatives, sedating antihistamines, stimulants, and antihypertensives may have detrimental effects on driving abilities. Drug combinations and drugs mixed with alcohol can be especially problematic. As with adults, low safety belt use by teenagers results in preventable injuries and deaths. Approximately 82% of all motorists wear safety belts, but the rate reported by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis for 16- to 24-year-olds is 77%. Distractions are contributing factors for motor vehicle crashes for both adolescents and adults. Eating, drinking, and adjusting the radio or the climate controls each cause more crashes than phone use. Phone use has been estimated to increase crash rates by fourfold.

In A Nutshell… Negative influence from media and peers results in: - Injury to yourself - Injury to others - DEATH It is important to make better decisions in order to protect yourself and others, rather than following those around you who could be poor examples.

How to Avoid Peer and Media Influence When driving and choosing whether or not to engage in safety precautions it is important to consider the dangers that can result from making poor choices. Consider the idea of losing a friend or family member, or simply injuring a stranger or small child. Poor choices can cause harm to many, not just the person injured as a result of your poor choice. Remember that actors and actresses are paid to perform their actions, and that the choices they make are not always the best ones. Don’t let your passengers negatively influence your driving. You are the driver, therefore you are in control. When in doubt, follow your parents’ examples. Odds are, if you wouldn’t do it in front of them, it’s probably not the best decision. Consider the facts, such as the ones presented in this presentation, rather than what you see on television. Just because the boys didn’t die during their street race in Greece, doesn’t mean you won’t.

Sources The Teen Driver (American Academy of Pediatrics) 118/6/2570.full 118/6/2570.full Teen Drivers Fact Sheet (Injury and Prevention Control) drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html#prevente d drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html#prevente d Teens and Distracted Driving (Pew Research Center) Files/PIP_Teens_and_Distracted_Driving.pdf Files/PIP_Teens_and_Distracted_Driving.pdf Pictures and Background Images (Google Image Search Engine) wi wi