A Comprehensive Review Of The Facts And Information On Prevention
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. While getting a drivers license and riding with friends is a rite of passage for most teens, riding in a passenger vehicle with a teenage driver is a risky proposition. This comprehensive breakdown of teen driving facts and statistics serves to highlight the inherent risks in teenage driving, the impact of advanced driver licensing programs on teenage driver safety, and any other relevant facts and figures that can accurately paint the picture of teenage driving in the United States.
Car Accidents And Distracted Driving
35 In 2017, 3,166 people were killed due to distracted driving, according to the most recent distracted driving statistics.
36 Approximately 481,000 drivers are using their phones while driving daily.
37 Every day, about 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
38 In 2015, 391,000 people were injured due to distracted driving.
39 Drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of fatal accidents related to distracted driving.
40 As of June 2017, handheld phone use is banned for drivers in 14 states and the District of Columbia, while texting while driving is banned in 46 states and the District of Columbia.
41 Phone use is a major distraction from driving. On average, it takes most people 5 seconds to take their eyes off the road to read or send a text. At 55 mph, that equates to driving the full length of a football field with your eyes closed.
42 Handheld phone use among drivers decreased from 3.8 percent in 2015 to 3.3 percent in 2016.
43 It takes only 3 seconds after a driver has been distracted for a crash to occur.
44 A teens risk of fatal crash doubles if they have one passenger. If two or more are present, their risk increases to five times.
45 One percent of distracted driving accidents are due to lighting or putting out a cigarette while driving.
46 62 percent of distracted driving collisions are caused by drivers letting their mind wander off the road.
Teen Car Accident Statistics
Here are the statistics:
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
- Nearly 7 teen drivers were killed every day in car crashes in the U.S. in 2017.
- Teen drivers aged 1619 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash, based on miles driven.
- Eight percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2017 were 15 to 20 years old.
- There were 4,361 young drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2017. Notably, 3,255 drivers between the ages of 15 to 19 were involved in fatal crashes in 2017.
- There were 2,526 teen drivers killed in all crashes in 2017.
- There were 3,542 people killed in crashes involving teen drivers in 2017.
, Crash and Injury Risks for Teen Drivers, NHTSA Teen Distracted Driving Data page, Teens and Distracted Driving 2017 NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Young Drivers 2017 Data )
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Car Accidents And Drowsy Driving
57 In 2015, 824 people died from car accidents associated with drowsy driving.
58 Between 2005 and 2009, there were approximately 83,000 crashes due to drowsy driving.
59 48 percent of drowsy drivers are most affected between 9pm and 6am.
60 The 2009 Massachusetts Special Commission on Drowsy Driving reported that there could be as many as 1.2 million crashes, 8,000 fatalities, and 500,000 injuries due to drowsy driving every year.
61 Drowsy driving crashes occur most frequently in the late afternoon, or between midnight and 6am.
62 About 1 in 25 drivers 18 years or older report falling asleep behind the wheel in the past 30 days.
63 Individuals who snore or sleep 6 or fewer hours per day are more likely to report falling asleep while driving.
Teen Drunk Driving Accidents
Even though the legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21, alcohol plays a large role in teen car crashes.
According to the NHTSA, 440 of the teenage drivers who were killed in car crashes in 2017 had blood alcohol concentrations of 0.01% or higher, and 362 had BACs of 0.08% or higher.
This means that 82% of teenage drivers who had alcohol in their system when they were killed had BACs over the legal driving limit for people 21 and up .
Alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is generally higher among male teen drivers than females. In 2017, 20% of the young male drivers involved in fatal accidents had some alcohol in their systems, compared with 15% of young female drivers.
In response to the CDCs 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 5.4% of U.S. high school drivers admitted to drinking alcohol before driving sometime in the 30 days before the survey. Drunk driving was more common among students with lower grades and older, male, and Hispanic drivers.
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Facts + Statistics: Teen Drivers
According to the Centers for Disease Controls Teen Driver Fact Sheet, motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death among teens. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Young Drivers Traffic Safety Facts data shows that 1,885 drivers aged 15 to 20 died in traffic crashes in 2020, an increase of 17 percent from 1,616 in 2019. Young drivers, while only 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers in 2020, accounted for 8.5 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety , graduated licensing systems in U.S. states and Canadian provinces have reduced crashes substantially. Two national studies by the IIHS and the Highway Loss Data Institute found that strong restrictions on nighttime driving and teenage passengers, and delaying licensing age, reduce fatal crashes and insurance losses for teenage drivers. In addition, the studies found that delaying permit age reduces fatal crashes and that increasing practice hours reduces insurance losses.
Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics
- 17,321 teen drivers in Pennsylvania were involved in crashes
- 2,526 teens were killed in crashes nationwide
- Nine percent of teenage motor accidents involved distracted driving
- In 2017, motorcycle riders aged 15-20 were killed, an 11 percent increase from 2016
- 1,830 drivers aged 15-20 were killed in alcohol-related crashes
- 22 percent of teen drivers were not wearing a restraint during a crash, but account for 57 percent of fatalities
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Fatal Car Accidents Involving Teen Drivers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports motor vehicle crashes as the second leading cause of death for American teens.
In 2018, just shy of 2,500 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 were killed, and approximately 285,000 went to emergency rooms for injuries sustained in car accidents. In other words, about seven teens a day were killed by car crashes, and hundreds more were injured.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration s 2017 fact sheet on young drivers, the United States had 225.3 million licensed drivers in 2017. While only 12.1 million drivers were between the ages of 15 and 20, 8.3% of drivers involved in fatal crashes were young drivers in this age group.
In 2017, 1,830 drivers who were 15 to 20 years old died in motor vehicle crashes, and 4,750 people were killed in passenger vehicle accidents involving teen drivers. However, total fatalities from teen car crashes have decreased by 26% from 2008 to 2017, dropping from 6,452 in 2008.
Car Accidents And Weather
83 An estimated 22 percent of crashes are due to inclement weather.
84 Weather-related car accidents account for nearly 6,000 fatalities and 445,000 injuries.
85 Wet weather is generally the leading cause of all weather-related crashes 73 percent on wet pavement and 46 percent while raining.
86 Over 200,000 crashes are due to sleet and snow, while icy pavement accounts for 150,000 accidents.
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Ontario Teenage Driver Accident Statistics
As young adults reach the legal driving age, they are eager to have more freedom and want to experience all of the excitement that goes along with it. Unfortunately, teen drivers can perform risky behaviors that make them a hazard to themselves and those with whom they share Ontarios roadways.
According to the Canadian branch of MADD , inexperience and immaturity are the two leading factors that influence the high rates of death related to teen drivers. 19-year-old drivers are the highest represented age group per capita overall, and they have the highest death rate per kilometer driven among drivers under the age of 75.
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence of a teen driver, you may be entitled to compensation because of the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your injuries. The legal team of Greg Monforton & Partners believes that young drivers must be held accountable for their reckless actions, which is why our skilled litigators always fight for the MAXIMUM amount of compensation due to our clients.
To see how we can help, simply fill out the Free Case Evaluation form located on the right side of this page at the top. Its 100% FREE and there is no obligation to continue.
Drunk Driving And Drugs
Remind your teen that underage drinking is illegal, and driving under the influence of any impairing substance including illicit, over-the-counter, and prescription drugs could have deadly consequences. Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal in every stateinside or outside of a vehicle. Drunk-driving laws are always strictly enforced, and many states have zero-tolerance laws, meaning that there can be no trace of alcohol or illegal drugs in your system at any time. Let your teen know: Law enforcement officers will be able to test for these substances.
Show your teen the grim stats. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teens are more likely than anyone else to be killed in an alcohol-related crash. Even though the minimum legal drinking age in every state is 21, data shows 16% of 15- to 18-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019 had been drinking. Drugs other than alcohol illicit as well as prescribed and over-the-counter can affect your teens driving, so be sure you and your teen talk about driving and drug use, too.
If lucky enough to survive a crash as an impaired driver, your teenager will face the consequences of breaking the law. Those include a possible trip to jail, the loss of his or her driver’s license, and dozens of other expenses including attorney fees, court costs, other fines, and insurance hikes. Your teen will also stand to lose academic eligibility, college acceptance, and scholarship awards.
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Global Car Accident Statistics
1How many people die in car accidents each year? Every year, roughly 1.3 million people die in car accidents worldwide an average of 3,287 deaths per day.
2 Young adults aged 15-44 account for more than half of all road traffic deaths.
3 Globally, car accidents are the leading cause of death among young adults ages 15-29 and the 9th leading cause of death for all people.
Ways To Prevent Teen Car Accidents
Parents can help to play a pivotal role in helping their young drivers stay safe. Here are 5 ways they can help prevent teen car accidents:
1. Make wearing a seat belt mandatory
Whether your teen is a driver or a passenger , make them buckle up. Safety belts are the most effective safety device in the car. Everyone should be buckled up at all times. NHTSA data shows wearing a safety belt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by about 50 percent. There are now car models that have apps that can send alerts to parents when a child is not wearing a seat belt or is speeding.
2. Eliminate all existing and potential driving distractions
3. Encourage/impress upon them no drunk driving
To further prevent teen car accidents impress on your teen driver that he or she should not drink alcohol and that he or she should NEVER get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or get in a vehicle being operated by someone who has consumed alcohol. Remember, the main problem with many teen drivers is using good judgment. Thats why teen drivers often make poor safety decisions, such as speeding. Alcohol will only make this problem worse, as well as slow perception/reaction time and further impair judgment.
4. Follow Graduated Driver Licensing law
5. Obey the speed limits
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Teenagers Are Responsible For 500000 Car Crashes In The Us Annually
All in all, there are six million car crashes in the United States every year, and even though no exact numbers are provided, according to estimation, teenagers are responsible for around 500,000 of them.
Whats even more disturbing, most of the fatal teen car crashes occur within six months after getting a license, based on teenage crash statistics.
Nighttime And Weekend Driving
Teenage car accidents are more common at night than daytime and during weekends. A 2019 report showed teens’ fatality crashes were highest on Sunday, followed by Saturday. Fridays and Wednesdays were also peak days for teenage deadly crashes in 2019.
9 p.m. to midnight was the peak time for teens to crash in 2019. The time is closely followed from between midnight to 3 a.m. and 6 p.m to 9 p.m. This is because teenagers exhibit more risky behaviors during these times and days. Thus, it would be wise for parents to keep their teens off the road at these times.
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As Per A Survey Around 56% Of Men And 29% Of Women Have Driven After Drinking Alcohol
Thats no surprise, as the US is the third leading country in the world for drinking alcohol and driving. While approximately 43% of respondents in the United States confessed to drinking and driving, men were more likely to do that than women.
Conversely, according to another surveys distracted driving statistics from 2021, women tended to text and drive more frequently than men.
Drinking Four Beers Is As Bad As Texting And Driving
Todays cell phone distraction statistics show just how important it is for drivers to keep their cell phones out of reach. Given this, a driver who has drunk four alcoholic drinks is as impaired as one who is texting.
Generally speaking, these drivers are dangerous since their reactions are slower and their judgment is impaired.
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Teen Motorcycle Accident Statistics
- During 2008, 346 young motorcycle riders were killed and an additional 8,000 were injured.
- 35% of the bikers between 15 and 20 who were fatally injured in crashes in 2008 were not wearing helmets.
- Of the young bikers involved in fatal crashes in 2008, 43% were either unlicensed or driving with an invalid license.
- In 2008, 26% of young male motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared to 13% of young female riders.
- Among bikers ages 16-19 involved in fatal crashes in 2008, 49% were involved in single-vehicle crashes.
Teenagers And Cars Can Be A Dangerous Combination
Teenagers typically look forward to driving for years before they actually get the legal ability to do so. When states license teens on a graduated basis, it recognizes the impulsiveness and lack of critical thinking skills that come with age and maturity.
- Time to mature and gain valuable skills Research from Insurance Institute For Highway Safety cites the decrease in teens involved in fatal crashes since all states adopted graduated licensing. Ramping up to full driving privileges gives teens time to understand the importance of the responsibility of operating a car. It also gives them time to gain on-the-road experience.
- Time to navigate day and night driving Driving at night, when many teens are gathering with friends can require a different skill set than driving during the day. Research shows that the time of a crash can increase the likelihood of an accident among male teens by up to 3% and by female teens by 2%.
In addition, more than half of all teen drivers involved in fatal were driving on Friday and Saturday nights. Temporarily restricting younger teens from driving to daylight hours may help decrease the number of car crashes.
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How Can Deaths And Injuries Resulting From Crashes Involving Teen Drivers Be Prevented
- Graduated Drivers Licensing Laws. The GDL helps new drivers gain experience under low-risk conditions by granting driving privileges in stages. For more information about New York State GDL provisions, visit the Department of Motor Vehicles website.
- The yearly rate of motor vehicle crash related hospitalizations for teen drivers ages 16-17 decreased over 73% between 2003, the year the New York State GDL was implemented, and 2014.
- In 2010, changes to the New York State GDL limited the number of passengers in a vehicle operated by a junior license holder, as well as increasing the length of time a permit must be held and number of supervised driving hours needed before scheduling a road test.
- Parental management of teen driving. When parents know their state’s GDL laws, they can help enforce the laws and, in effect, help keep their teen drivers safe. A parent/teen driving agreement is one tool to help parents set and enforce driving rules during the first year of unsupervised driving. A sample contract is available on the Department of Motor Vehicles website.
