Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death among teenagers. Teen vehicle crashes are preventable and proven strategies can help to improve their safety on the road.
In 2020, about 2,800 teens in the U.S. ages 13-19 were killed and about 227,000 were injured in a motor vehicle crash; about eight teens died every day in a crash.
The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16–19 than among any other age group.
Teens who are at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes include:
- Males
- The motor vehicle crash death rate for male drivers ages 16–19 years was three times as high as the death rate for female drivers in the same age group in 2020
- Teens Driving with Teen or Young Adult Passengers
- The presence of teen or young adult passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with each additional teen or young adult passenger.
- Newly Licensed Teens
- Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure. For example, data indicate that the crash rate per mile driven is about 1.5 times as high for 16-year-old drivers as it is for 18–19-year-old drivers.
There are many factors that put teens at risk for a crash. Some of them include: inexperience, nighttime, and weekend driving, not wearing a seatbelt, distracted driving, speeding, drinking alcohol, and using drugs/substances.
