05/14/2018
Recent Facts about Teen Drivers
Before you allow your child to take off in the car solo for the first time, sharing some recent statistics and facts about teen driving can help them recognize that driving should be taken seriously. The point is not to terrify them, but to let them know your goal is to ensure their safety – and not have them end up becoming just another statistic. Here are some of the latest teen driving facts and statistics that are important to know:
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that drivers age 16-17 have the highest rate of crash involvement, as well as injuries to themselves and others in car accidents.
According to the CDC, in 2015 alone 2,333 teens ages 16-19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes. This means 6 teens every day were killed in car crashes that year.
The three main reasons teens crash include being distracted by something inside or outside of the vehicle, going too fast for road conditions and lack of scanning that is needed to detect and react to hazards.
The most common types of teen crashes involve left hand turns, rear-end events and running off the road.
Teens driving with passengers are more likely to be distracted behind the wheel than those driving alone. In fact, 20 percent of female teens and 24 percent of male teens who crash say they were distracted by a passenger before the crash occurred.
Fatal teen crashes continue to rise every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of teen crashes rose by 10 percent from 2014 to 2015.
The good news is that these fatal crashes are largely preventable. By arming your teen with the information they need to be safe drivers, as well as enforcing rules with consequences, your teen can avoid becoming part of these statistics. It’s also important that your teen learns the proper skills and basic mechanics of driving at a driving school like Life Saver Driving Academy, where we provide the most advanced driver training possible.
