It is no secret that teenage drivers are more likely than other, more experienced drivers to be involved in car accidents. For the most part, transportation officials chalk the higher accident rates up to teen drivers' inexperience behind the wheel. However, two new studies indicate that other factors may contribute to car accidents involving teenage drivers, such as distraction and aggressive driving.

But the most dangerous factor, researchers found, was having another teenager in the car. In particular, one of the two studies found that teenagers who drive with multiple passengers generally consider themselves to be thrill-seekers, were not aware of the risks of driving, and did not feel that their parents were strictly monitoring their whereabouts or driving habits.

The second study, which interviewed teenage drivers who had been involved in serious crashes, aimed to determine how the drivers had been behaving prior to the accidents. Both male and female respondents stated that they had been distracted or had otherwise been engaging in risky behavior when they had other teenagers in their vehicle. Specifically, more than 70 percent of males and 45 percent of females said that the actions of their teenage passengers had distracted them prior to the accident.

The study also found a significant difference between the driving behaviors of teenage boys and girls. Males with teen passengers were more than twice as likely to drive aggressively and about six times more likely to perform an illegal maneuver than when they were driving alone. Females, on the other hand, rarely drove aggressively, regardless of whether they had a passenger.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Risky business: Teens driving with other teens," Joel Provano, Jan. 24, 2012