What is Causing the Alarming Rise in Teen Auto Accidents?

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For so many teens learning to drive is the beginning of true independence, but for far too many young people driving and getting into a traffic crash ends up being what causes their death. A report published by the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) reveals that teen-involved crash death rates have spiked for older teens aged 18-20 while there was an improvement in safety for younger teen drivers between ages 15-17. This report shows that teen drivers are 1.6 times more likely to be involved in a fatal traffic crash than their adult counterparts.

The report draws on data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 25 traffic fatality data which shows the troubling spike in traffic crash deaths for older teens. This is the first time the numbers have increased this much since 2006, and the GHSA report outlines actions that state highway safety offices can take to curb any further increases in teen traffic deaths.

What is causing the spike in traffic deaths for older teens?

The Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) programs that have been in place for the past ten years have had a huge impact on reducing teen driver fatalities. The GDL program is a three-stage program that emphasizes supervised training and as the young drivers gain experience behind the wheel, they gain increasing driving privileges. The challenge is that teens age out of GDL programs at age 18. Pam Fischer, one of the researchers in the report said that about one in three teens are not licensed by age 18, so they are not reaping the benefits of the GDL programs. An 18-year-old who simply obtains a driver’s license after passing an exam will face much higher crash risk that his or her younger counterpart who received one or two years of supervised training alongside an older, licensed driver.

The GHSA report calls on the expansion of GDL programs to include all drivers under the age of 21, and it includes recommendations for increasing training for older teen drivers. Maryland’s Rookie Driver program was one of the model programs which requires all new drivers regardless of their age to complete 30 classroom hours and six hours of behind the wheel training.

What puts teen drivers at such a high risk?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the following risk factors for teen traffic crashes:

• “Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations.
• Teens are more likely to make critical decision errors that lead to serious crashes.
• Teens are more likely to speed and allow a shorter distance between their vehicle and the one ahead of them.
• Teens have the lowest rates of seat belt use.
• Among male drivers between ages 15-20 who were involved in a fatal crash, 36 percent were speeding at the time of the crash and 24 percent had been drinking.”

Preventing teen traffic crashes

The CDC also has recommendations for how parents can step in and help their teens prevent traffic crashes.

• Insist that your teen drivers always wear their safety belt. Model the behavior by always wearing a safety belt when you drive.
• No drinking and driving. Establish a zero-tolerance policy for drinking and driving.
• No distracted driving

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that almost 70 percent of teens will admit to talking on a cell phone while driving in the past 30 days, and more than 50 percent of teens admit to reading a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days. AAA has a teen driver safety program that can help educate teens and adults about how to be safe behind the wheel and prevent traffic crashes called Keys2Drive.com with state-specific information about graduated driver’s licensing programs and other useful information for teen drivers.

We incite you to call Silverman, McDonald & Friedman at 302.414.5553, or to fill out our contact form and schedule a free consultation with one of our auto accident attorneys in Newark, Seaford or Wilmington when you have been seriously injured.