The Facts

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  • Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers
  • Between 5,000 and 6,000 teenagers have died in vehicle crashes every year for the past decade
  • From 1994 to 2003, a total of 57,142 teenagers were killed in motor vehicle crashes
  • Teens have the highest car crash rate of any age group
  • This year, almost 60% of 16-18 year-old drivers will be in a police-reported collision
  • Teens are 400% more likely to die in a car crash than 25-34 year-old drivers
  • 16 – 18 year old annual crash rates are up 6% between 2000 and 2003
  • The chance of one crash in the first three years of driving is 89.2%
  • The chance of two crashes in the first three years of driving is 52.5%
  • The chance of three crashes in the first three years of driving is 13.3%
  • The teen licensed driver population will grow by 15% between 2000 and 2010 to over 10 million

Excessive Speed and Other Driver Errors - Crash risk is particularly high during the first years that teenagers are eligible to drive. The top five driver-related factors for teenage drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes include:

  • Driving too fast
  • Running off the road
  • Driving in the wrong lane
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication
  • Erratic or reckless driving

Sources:
National Safety Council, "Injury Facts," (2004 edition).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States ," (14 January 2005).
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, "Fatality Facts: teenagers 2002," (13 December 2003).
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, "Teen Deaths (ages 13-19) in motor vehicle crashes 1986-2002." (2003).
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute, "Fatality Facts 2003: Teenagers," (23 June 2005).
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System," (13 Dec 2004).
National Center for Statistical Analysis Information Services Branch, "2003 Fatality Analysis Reporting System," (1 April 2005).
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Traffic Safety Facts 2003," (January 2005).
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, "Teens' Driving Riskier with Male Teen Passenger, Teen Boy's Driving Safer with Female Teen Passenger," (24 August, 2005).
Williams, A., "Teenage Passengers in Motor Vehicle Crashes; A Summary of Current Research," Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (December 2001)