When looking at auto accidents based on age, the leading cause of death for teens is motor vehicle crashes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyday in the U.S. in 2010 there was an average of seven deaths caused by accidents for teens between the ages of 16 and 19.
Did you know the following statistics about teen drivers?
In fact, teen drivers 16 to 19 years old are three times more likely to be killed in a car crash than drivers who are 20 and up.
Keep in mind that car accident statistics may show young adults to be involved in more crashes, but individuals 15 to 24 years old only make up 14 percent of our population and account for 30 percent of costs associated with motor vehicle injuries in males and 28 percent in females.
Reasons Teens May Get in an Auto Accident
The reasons for car accidents are varied, but risk factors exist for teen drivers. The following are five reasons that teens may get into car accidents:
- more likely to speed;
- alcohol impairment (22 percent of young adult driver 15 - 20 years old involved in fatal crashes in 2010 were drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration);
- driving at night (20 percent of teen auto accident deaths in 2008 occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS);
- passengers in car cause drivers to engage in riskier driving behavior; and
- more likely to underestimate hazards.
Teens may also be less likely to wear a seat belt. As a result, when they are involved in a crash this increases the chance of suffering severe or fatal injuries. In addition, those who just receive their driver license have an especially high risk during the first few months.
The IIHS indicates that the fatal crash rate per mile driven is double for 16-and 17-year-olds when compared to 18-and 19-year-olds. Additionally, they note that inexperience and immaturity are significant contributing factors.
Teens aren’t the only drivers who are found to be a risk on the road. You can learn a lot about those most at risk of auto accidents based on age by evaluating Georgia car accident statistics.