When your teen starts to drive it is a good idea to be well aware of the teen driving statistics that are out there. A lot of the teen driving statistics may prove to be rather shocking. As a parent, if you search for any information about Teen Driving Statistics you will find statistics similar to those below. I have reviewed various websites to summarize the information from these sources, however, please feel free to search the web for “teen driving statistics” for more websites and information on this subject.
The information allows us to ponder if teen driving needs to be revisited on a national level. How are teen drivers being educated by driving schools? Do we need to increase the amount of time for driver training? How about requiring higher levels of car driving education (not just traffic education, but how do drive a car education)? Should driver’s licenses only be issued at age 18? What are the economic implications to increasing the driving age? We will visit these questions in the next article. For now we need to understand what is happening on our roads today.
We know that the current requirements for driver education are not sufficient. Both commercially and by parents. We can add that a younger age teen is not mature enough to control a vehicle and might as well be considered to be driving a deadly weapon. Teens with permit licenses are driving with their parents in an unmarked family vehicle only increase the likelihood of accidents. Using car magnets that are thick, reflective for the night and are durable can help reduce this likelihood. Identifying these almost 2 million vehicles on the road should be a requirement on a national level.
As parents we must take the responsibility of protecting our children. Should you reconsider your decision the next time your teen asks to take the car?
The Facts from reliable Sources
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
In 2003, 3,657 (3,827 in 2002) drivers 15 to 20 years old were killed, and an additional 308,000 (324,000 in 2002) were injured, in motor vehicle crashes. Nearly 31 percent of teen drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2003 had been drinking and 74 percent of this group was not wearing their safety belts.
National Safety Council
In 2000, 6,495 people between the ages of 15 and 20 were killed in motor vehicle crashes—the leading cause of death for this age group. And although young drivers represent only 6.6% of the nation’s licensed drivers, they are involved in 14.8% of fatal crashes. The National Safety Council urges all parents to familiarize themselves with the risks associated with young, inexperienced drivers.
Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death among children and young adults.
More than 3,800 young drivers age 15-20 are killed every year in traffic crashes.
More than 326,000 young drivers are injured.
Young drivers are involved in fatal traffic crashes at over twice the rate as the rest of the population.
Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving at an unsafe speed is the most common error in fatal accidents.
About 30% of crashes killing young drivers involve alcohol.
More than 1,000 young drivers lose their lives every year in crashes because of an impaired driver… be it themselves, or someone else.
Sean Mullsteff Teen Driving Foundation
The number one cause of death for 15-20 year olds is car collisions.
This age group makes up 7% of licensed drivers, but suffers 14% of fatalities and 20% of all reported collisions.
53% of teen driver deaths occur on weekends.
Teen drivers killed in motor vehicle collisions had a youth passenger in the automobile 45% of the time.
In 2002, The National Center for Statistics and Analysis reported that 8,278 adolescents (ages 15-20) were involved in fatal crashes.
324,000 teens were injured in collisions in 2002.
65% of teen passenger deaths occur with a teen driving.
Teen lifestyle of staying up late make teen drivers a high risk to have an automobile collision due to drowsiness.
More than any age group, teens are likely to be involved in a single vehicle crash.
Melih Oztalay, CEO
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