This is very old news. Insurance companies have known for ages that young males are responsible for the highest accident rates. It is all in the testosterone: it makes us aggressively competitive and risk-taking.
However, talking on the 'phone while driving is almost as dangerous as DUI. Women are frequently seen holding a 'phone while driving.
There also is a upsurge in rudeness which builds tension in all drivers. It is part of the developing cultural attitude of "I want my way no matter what." There are a lot of people out there who act as if they just got out of an assertiveness-training class. It is the "rights" attitude. People have the idea that they have a right to do whatever they want, and others should make room for them.
Also, in general, Americans are lousy drivers. Our driving qualifications for a license are a joke: any idiot can get a driver's license, and that is partly why there are so many numbskulls and emotionally disturbed people on the road.
Americans who try to get driver's licenses in England or Germany find that they usually flunk the tests their. I am told that if you fail the very rigorous German test three times, you must see a psychiatrist to assess whether you ever should be allowed to drive at all. The required passing score on their test is very high: one mistake on the road test, and you are back to driving school, and can't take the test again for six months. In New Jersey, the passing score on the written test is a mere 70%! What kind of test is that? The test has virtually no questions involving the actually working of an automobile, so operators of a very complex piece of machinery are not expected to understand what they are doing; but you better know such things as how many feet you must be from a fire hydrant, and how many inches from the curb when you park. After you pass the test once, you may never need to be retested again for your entire lifetime.
We badly need frequent and mandatory tests for the elderly, who are as a group responsible for a disproportate share of the accidents. I am all for that, even though I am approaching retirement age myself. I guarantee that the AARP would fight such a reasonable proposal, claiming that it was somehow discriminatory. In this way the "rights" argument destroys any sense of what is practical, including measures for simple public safety and order.
"Also, in general, Americans are lousy drivers. "
Compared to most countries i've driven in this isn't true. If you spend any time in Africa, South America, Italy, or India you will see that our drivers are much, much, much better than those of most places. Much more cautious and much more in control.