The effect of male teenage passengers on male teenage drivers: Findings from a driving simulator study

Ouimet, Marie Claude; Pradhan, Anuj K.; Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Divekar, Gautam; Mehranian, Hasmik; Fisher, Donald L. · 2013 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2013.04.024

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Summary

This study investigates how the presence of a male teenage passenger affects the driving behavior and attention of male teenage drivers, specifically examining the impact of subtle social norms rather than direct peer pressure or conversation. Prior research has established that teenage drivers are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and exhibit inattention when peers are present, but the specific mechanisms—such as perceived social norms conveyed by a silent passenger—remain understudied. The study aimed to determine if teenagers would drive more riskily and with less attention when accompanied by a passenger compared to driving alone, and whether a risk-accepting passenger would lead to different outcomes than a risk-averse passenger. The research employed a 2x2 mixed-design experiment using a driving simulator. Thirty-six male participants aged 16–17 years, all holding provisional licenses, were recruited from Massachusetts. Each participant completed two drives: one alone and one with a male confederate passenger. The passenger was randomly assigned to be either risk-accepting or risk-averse, a distinction conveyed solely through non-verbal cues and clothing (casual dark clothes vs. tucked-in polo shirt), with no verbal interaction permitted. The simulator recorded metrics for risky driving (speed, headway, gap acceptance) and inattention (eye glances at hazards, horizontal eye movement). Additionally, participants completed questionnaires measuring individual characteristics such as self-esteem, tolerance of deviance, and susceptibility to peer pressure. Results indicated that the presence of a passenger was associated with significantly fewer eye glances at hazards and a trend toward fewer horizontal eye movements compared to solo driving. Contrary to the hypothesis that a risk-accepting passenger would increase risk, participants with a risk-accepting passenger actually maintained significantly longer headways and made more eye glances at hazards than those with a risk-averse passenger. Passenger presence also led to waiting for more oncoming vehicles before initiating left turns. Exploratory analyses revealed that individual driver characteristics moderated these effects: when driving with a passenger, earlier initiation of left turns was associated with higher tolerance of deviance and susceptibility to peer pressure, while fewer eye glances at hazards were linked to lower self-esteem. The findings suggest that the mere presence of a teenage passenger can alter driving performance and attention, even in the absence of overt distraction or direct pressure. The mixed results, particularly the counter-intuitive safety benefits associated with the risk-accepting passenger, highlight the complexity of social influence in driving contexts. The study underscores the importance of considering individual driver traits, such as self-esteem and peer susceptibility, when understanding how social environments affect teenage driving safety. These insights contribute to theoretical models of social facilitation and peer influence, suggesting that prevention strategies should account for the subtle social dynamics within vehicles.

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• passenger effects
• novice drivers
• sex gender
• parental management

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• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data