CRASHES & FATALITIES

• Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among teens in the U.S. 
• The fatality rate for drivers 16-19 is four times the rate of drivers 25-69

• The crash fatality rate (crash fatalities/100,000 population) is highest for 16- to 17-year-olds within the first six months after getting

  their license - and remains high through age 24

• The top three predictors for fatality are non-use of seat belts, teen drivers and roads with speed limits of 45 mph or higher
• Approximately two-thirds of teen passenger deaths (ages 13 to 19) occur when other teenagers are driving
• 20 percent of 11th graders report being in a crash as a driver in the past year
• 25 percent of 9th graders report being in a crash as a passenger in their lifetimes 
• Current data on crashes involving 16-year-old drivers shows that having multiple teenage passengers in the vehicle is twice as likely to cause a fatal crash as alcohol-impaired driving 
• Crashes are more common among young drivers than any other age group. In the United States, 1 in 4 crash fatalities involvesomeone 16 to 24 years old, nearly twice as high as other age groups

• Crash risk increases incrementally with each mile per hour over the speed limit

How Parents Can Help

HELP YOUR TEEN BEAT THE ODDS

Driver education classes are just the beginning. Coach your teen about roadway hazards and safe driving principles. Don't just talk about them at the kitchen table; get in the car together and see what your teen is doing.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

• No Drinking or Alcohol
• Buckle up
• Slow down and respect the speed limit
• No phone calls or text messaging
• Limit number of passengers
• Limit nighttime and weekend driving
• Follow the Graduated Drivers License Law

• Drivers with an Operator's License, who are 16-years-old, may only drive between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., with two exceptions. If the driver is going to and from work, or has a licensed driver who at least 21-years-old in the front passenger seat, he or she may driver outside the restricted times
• Drivers with an Operator's License, who are 17-years-old, are restricted from driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., with the two exceptions listed above