Multifactorial causes of adolescent driver accidents: investigation of time as a major variable

This study examined all reported motor vehicle accidents with adolescent drivers, aged 18 and under, in Wichita, Kansas, during 1987. The analysis focused on several time variables that may influence the cause of an accident, including time of day, day of week, and school versus nonschool day. Data analysis from 1903 accident reports showed a predominance of accidents among male drivers, a higher accident prevalence on school days, and a cluster of accidents on school days before school, during lunch hours, and immediately after school. Accidents on weekends and nonschool days clustered later in the day, with alcohol-related and injury accidents occurring more frequently than on school days. These results have potential implications for health care professionals working with youths on health promotion/disease prevention, for policymakers who schedule school activities, and for those involved in driver safety and education.