Despite the popular image of the “crazy teen driver,” the majority of teens strive to be good safe drivers. Below are some common causes of teen crashes and ways to avoid them.

Top 10 reasons why teens crash

1. Inexperience

Is 30 hours enough time to learn to play the piano, or enough practice to be a starting player on your high school's varsity basketball team? Of course not! Yet this is all that is required to become a driver. As with anything, the more practice you get the better you will be. Just because 30 hours is required, doesn't mean that it is enough experience to become a safe driver. Inexperience is one of the primary causes of teen crashes. Teens show the greatest improvement in their first 1000 miles behind the wheel.

2. Inattention / Distraction

Today's automobiles are rolling multi-media centers. They are equipped with MP3s, DVDs, cell phones, computers, GPS devices and more. All of these new conveniences add to greater distraction and risk. In fact, driver distraction accounts for almost 80 percent of all traffic crashes in this country.

3. Poor Visual Search Habits

Though we are all prone to “tunnel vision,” teens, more than any other group, have a tendency to focus solely on the road in front of them. Scanning the road and checking the mirrors is an important part of driving defensively. Practicing using these important driving tools will help form good habits, and that is the key to avoiding tunnel vision.

4. Speed Management / Space Management

Speed management is more than just driving the speed limit, it is choosing the safest speed for conditions. Teens have a tendency to overestimate their safest speed and underestimate the distance they need to stop the car. For example, at 60 miles per hour it takes roughly 60 yards to stop a car. If the speed is increased, the distance you need to leave between you and the car in front of you increases. Speed is a factor in roughly one-third of teen fatal crashes.

5. Bad Habits

Teens have been absorbing the process of driving since they were in car seats. Parents' behaviors are reflected in their teen's behavior. For example, if a driver is unbuckled, 70 percent of the time children riding in that vehicle won't be buckled either. Over 60 percent of parents talk on the cell phone while driving, yet this is a behavior that your parents ask you not to do.

6. Aggressive / Risky Driving Behaviors

Teen drivers have a tendency to minimize the dangers of risky driving. A focus group study done by the National Highway Traffic safety Administration showed that many teens were more worried about getting in trouble and damaging their vehicle than personal injury and death. Speeding, alcohol, aggressive driving, driving while distracted and too many teens in the car are all risky behaviors that add up to disaster.

7. Emotions

Anytime a driver's full attention is not on the road, they put themselves and others at risk. Though everyone can have a bad day, teens often exaggerate emotional experiences. Arguments, break-ups and family problems can take a teen's attention away from the road and increase your risk of crashing.

8. Fatigue

Studies show that driving while fatigued has similar effects as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The odds of being involved in a crash or a near-crash are nearly three times higher with a drowsy driver than one who is fully awake. Also, don't assume that drinking caffeine will wake you up. Caffeine can give you a quick jolt of energy but it's not a substitute for sleep and shouldn't be treated as such.

9. Driving While Impaired

If you are under 21,  Arizona is a zero tolerance state. That means if you are caught driving with any alcohol in your system you will receive an automatic DUI. The results are disastrous and can involve thousands of dollars in fines, jail time or probation, court ordered substance abuse counseling and installing an ignition interlock device. Drunk driving crashes are 100 percent preventable, simply don't drink and drive.

10. Passengers

With just one teen passenger in the car, the risk of crashing doubles. When you add three or more teen passengers, the risk skyrockets nearly 400 percent. In focus group studies, teen passengers report arguing with the driver, grabbing the wheel, touching the driver and other risky behaviors. Teens are more likely to succumb to peer pressure and take unnecessary risks with teen passengers in the car.

• Buckle Up! Failure to buckle up contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety-related behavior. The easiest and most effective thing a teen can do to avoid serious injury in a crash is to buckle up, always!

• Slow Down! A study conducted by AAA earlier this year found that speeding nearly triples the odds of being involved in a crash.

• Avoid driving while fatigued. In the same report, AAA found that driving while drowsy was associated with a similar increase in the odds of being involved in a crash.

• Minimize distractions. AAA also found that taking your eyes off the road for more than two seconds, for any reason, doubles the odds of an automobile accident. Put away those cell phones, pagers and BlackBerrys while you drive.

• Cool it. The study also reported that aggressive driving behaviors double the odds of a crash occurring.

• Allow more time. Drivers who are in a hurry are more likely to speed, tailgate and make errors while driving. Leave earlier so you won't become rushed.

• Practice. 30 hours might be what's required, but it isn't nearly enough time you'll need to become a safe driver. Get as much supervised practice behind the wheel when possible and be receptive to feedback you receive from your parent, guardian or driving instructor.