Getting to School Safely–Community Action Kit

FACT SHEET

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Young Drivers
In 1998, a total of 4,552 passenger vehicle drivers ages 15 through 18 were involved in fatal crashes; of those 1,894 were killed.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from age 15 through 18 years old.

The fatality rate for young drivers (16 through 19 years old), based on estimated annual travel, is about 4 times as high as the rate for drivers 25 through 69 years old.

Females have a lower fatality rate than their male counterparts.

The risk of fatal injury for 16 and 17 year old drivers increases with the number of passengers in the vehicle they are driving.

In 1998, 29 percent of teen age drivers (age 15 through 18) involved in motor vehicle crashes had three or more passengers.

In 1998, 49 percent of crashes involving drivers age 15 through 18 were single vehicle crashes.

By a wide margin, more 18 year-olds died in traffic crashes than any other specific age (1,395), in 1998. The next most fatal ages were 19, 21, 17, 20, respectively. No other single ages but these five recorded over 1,000 fatalities.

Safety Belt Use

In 1998, 66 percent of teens, ages 15 through 18, killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing seat belts.

For young drivers (ages 15 through 18) involved in fatal crashes, 43 percent were not using a seat belt; among those who were killed, 59 percent were not using a seat belt.

Lap/shoulder belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.

Speed

In 1998, speeding was recorded as a factor in 38 percent of fatal crashes involving 15 through 18 year old male drivers.

In 1998, only 37 percent of speeding passenger vehicle drivers ages 15 through 18 involved in fatal crashes were wearing safety belts at the time of the crash.

In 1998, 89 percent of speed related 15 through 18 year old driver fatalities occurred on non-interstate highways.

In 1998, 18 year olds recorded the most speed-related fatalities and the most fatalities where no occupant protection system (seat belt or motorcycle helmet) was used.

Alcohol

In 1998, 22 percent of drivers between the ages of 15 and 18 killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking. Fifteen percent had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or above and seven percent had a BAC of 0.01 to 0.09.

All states and the District of Columbia now have 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws.

For young drivers involved in fatal crashes, alcohol involvement is a factor more often for males than females.

In 1998, 26 percent of young drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes where alcohol was involved were not using a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Driver Licensing

There are currently 22.1 million teens, of which 11.92 million have drivers licenses. Census projections place teen population in the year 2005 between 25.2 and 30 million.

The overall crash rate per 100,000 licensed drivers is 67 for young drivers (ages 15 - 19 ) and 28 for adult drivers (21 or older).

As of August 2000, 32 states had Graduated Driver Licensing programs for new drivers. These programs require beginning drivers to earn a full drivers license, usually in three stages. Usually the steps are - a supervised learner’s period (drive only under supervision), an intermediate license (drive with restrictions that may cover nighttime driving and carrying passengers), and a full-privilege driver’s license.

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