Teens Spend a Frightening Amount of Time on Phones While Driving

Newsweek

08-07-2025

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A new study from Mass General Brigham has exposed the frightening phone habits of teen drivers.
According to the researchers, many teens spend an average of 21% of their driving time looking at their phones. Meanwhile, 70% of students reported taking long glances at their phones while driving.
Researchers surveyed more than 1,100 high school drivers across the United States and conducted in-depth interviews to understand the social norms and beliefs fueling this high-risk behavior.
The findings, published in Traffic Injury Prevention, come as road safety experts continue to warn about the dangers of distracted driving, particularly among young drivers who face a higher crash risk due to inexperience.
The study's authors say the results can help shape targeted interventions aimed at reducing phone-related distractions on the road.
Why It Matters
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes among young drivers. Long glances at a phone significantly increase the likelihood of an accident.
The Mass General Brigham study found that teens not only acknowledge the risks, but also perceive distracted driving as a common behavior among peers.
Stock image: Driver using a phone in a car.
Stock image: Driver using a phone in a car.
Photo by photolab / Getty Images
"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," Rebecca Robbins, MSc, PhD, lead author and researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said in a statement.
In an email to Newsweek, Robbins said the study, "revealed beliefs young people hold," such as the dangerous belief that using a phone while driving allows one to be 'entertained' while driving.
"Young people admitted that some of the activities they did on their phones while driving included checking Instagram, Snapchat, or reading/sending text messages," Robbins told Newsweek.
What To Know
The study revealed that 21% of teen drivers' time on the road is spent glancing at their phones, with 26% of those glances lasting two seconds or longer.
Many teens cited navigation, entertainment and texting as reasons for checking their devices while driving. According to the researchers, 65% of respondents said "entertainment" was their reason for distracted driving, while 40% said "texting".
Researchers used the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction framework to explore how social norms, perceived behavioral control and beliefs about the outcomes of distracted driving influence behavior.
Teens recognized the usefulness of navigation apps, but simultaneously acknowledged the risk of accidents associated with taking their eyes off the road.
What People Are Saying
Robbins told Newsweek that distracted driving endangers young people, but also the traveling public around them.
"We evaluated beliefs and behaviors relating to distracted driving among young people in a geographically representative sample in the US," she added.
What's Next
Robbins said future research on how to reduce distracted driving is "urgently needed," especially among young people.
"Our work identified beliefs that could be targeted in campaigns," she said.
"For instance, some young people shared strategies, such as turning on 'do not disturb' mode, or putting their phone in the back seat, that are useful for reducing the temptation to use a phone while driving.
"Moreover, our research revealed that those young people in our study that endorsed self-efficacy beliefs that they were able to practice these safe driving behaviors (e.g., use of 'do not disturb' mode while driving) were less likely to drive distracted.
"Therefore, future message-based interventions might consider promoting awareness about these safe driving practices among young people."