Teens and Distracted Driving Texting, Talking and Other Uses of the Cell Phone Behind the Wheel

Madden, Mary; Lenhart, Amanda · 2009 · ROSA P / Pew Research Center

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Summary

This report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project examines the prevalence and nature of distracted driving among American teenagers, specifically focusing on cell phone use while operating a vehicle. Motivated by rising public concern and legislative efforts to ban texting while driving, the study addresses the gap in understanding how widespread these behaviors are among teens and how they perceive the associated risks. The research highlights that the under-20 age group exhibits the highest incidence of distracted driving, a critical demographic given their already elevated crash risk. The study employed a mixed-methods approach conducted between June and October 2009. Quantitative data was gathered through a telephone survey of 800 teens aged 12–17 and their parents, using a dual-frame random digit dial sample of landlines and cell phones. Qualitative insights were derived from nine focus groups with teens aged 12–18, conducted in partnership with the University of Michigan. The survey weighted data to match national demographic parameters, ensuring representative results. Key findings reveal that 75% of teens aged 12–17 own a cell phone, with usage increasing with age. Among teens aged 16–17 who own phones, 52% have talked on a cell phone while driving, and 34% have texted while driving. This translates to 43% and 26% of all teens in that age cohort, respectively. Gender differences were negligible, with boys and girls equally likely to text while driving. As passengers, 48% of all teens reported being in a car when the driver was texting, and 40% reported being in a car when the driver used a phone in a dangerous manner. Teens who text themselves were significantly more likely to report riding with distracted drivers (58%) compared to non-texters (28%). Focus groups indicated that teens often rationalize their behavior, distinguishing between the perceived dangers of texting versus talking, and frequently cited parental modeling as a normalization of the behavior. Some teens described specific safety strategies, such as texting only at stop signs or holding the phone up to maintain visual contact with the road. The significance of this report lies in its documentation of distracted driving as a pervasive social norm among adolescents, reinforced by family dynamics. The findings underscore that while teens recognize the dangers of texting while driving, many engage in the behavior anyway, often minimizing risk through self-reported coping mechanisms. The high correlation between teen texters and exposure to distracted drivers suggests a cyclical reinforcement of unsafe practices. These results provide empirical evidence supporting the urgency of legislative bans and safety interventions, highlighting that the problem extends beyond individual teen drivers to include the broader cultural acceptance of phone use behind the wheel.

Key finding

34% of texting teens aged 16-17 report having texted while driving, and 52% of cell-owning teens in that age group report talking on a cell phone while driving.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 800

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (7 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• mobile phones
• distraction laws
• passenger effects
• parental management
• visual manual

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence