IT'S NOT EASY BEING TEEN
When it comes to teen driving statistics, none is more startling than this: 36% of all teen deaths are caused by motor vehicle crashes .
Being the most inexperienced group of drivers, it is no surprise that teens ages 16-19 are four times more likely to crash than more experienced drivers.
SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
MORE TOUGH STATS TO SWALLOW
4,767 Teens Dead: In the U.S. during 2004, 4,767 teens ages 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. During 2005, nearly 400,000 motor vehicle occupants in this age group sustained nonfatal injuries severe enough to require treatment in an emergency department.
- SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
The Longest 500 Miles: A teenager’s first 500 miles of driving are the most dangerous. During that time, they’re 10 times more likely to crash than an adult.
- SOURCE: MSNBC.com website, The perils of teen driving, July 2005.
Expensive Tastes: Persons aged 15 to 24, who represent only 14% of the U.S. population, account for almost 30% of the total costs stemming from motor vehicle injuries (over $25 billion annually).
- SOURCE: Finkelstein EA, Corso PS, Miller TR, Associates. Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press; 2006.
Slow Down and Smell the Speed Limit: Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 38% were speeding at the time of the crash.
- SOURCE: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Dept. of Transportation (US).
Coming Unbuckled: Compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. In 2005, 10% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else.
- SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
Nighttime is the Wrong Time: In 2005, half of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and midnight and 54% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
- SOURCE: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Bad Boys: In 2004, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers age 16 to 19 was more than one and a half times that of their female counterparts (19.4 per 100,000 compared with 11.1 per 100,000).
- SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
Risky Business: The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers; the risk increases with the number of teen passengers.
- SOURCE: Chen L, Baker SP, Braver ER, Li G. Carrying passengers as a risk factor for crashes fatal to 16- and 17-year old drivers. JAMA 2000;283(12):1578–82.
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