Yes, there are some scary facts and figures about teen drivers: Washington State Data on Crashes Involving Teens (Age 16-19)
Motor vehicle crashes continue to remain the #1 cause of death among teens in Washington. In 2007 in Washington State
- 132 teens, from ages 15 through 19, died in motor vehicle crashes
- Suicide was the #2 cause with 40 deaths
- 169 total deaths (all causes) occurred to teens, from ages 15 through 19
WA DOH data available at http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/emstrauma/injury/data_tables/
So far in 2009, traffic crashes have taken the lives of 33 teens in Washington.
In 2008, motor vehicle crashes in Washington were responsible for 37 deaths and 258 serious injuries to teens age 16-19.
Teen drivers aged 16-19 are overrepresented in fatal crashes. In 2008, teens age 16-19 made up 4.2% of all licensed drivers in Washington, but they also accounted for 7.6% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.
Washington fatal crash data from 2004 through 2008 shows that
- 255 fatal crashes involved a teen driver age 16-19
- 296 people (all ages) died as a result of these crashes
- 173 (58%) of those who died were teens age 16 to 19
- most common errors for teen drivers (and all drivers) were speeding, impairment, and inattention. - Motor vehicle crashes were responsible for an annual average of 62 deaths and 330 serious injuries to teens age 16-19.
- Gender
- 71% of teens killed were male - Month
- The most (31%) teen deaths occurred from June through August
- The fewest (19%) teen deaths occurred from November through January - Hour
- Overall, the deadliest hours for teens were between 10 pm and 1:59 am. But there were differences between young and older teens.
- Among 16 & 17 year olds, the deadliest hours were from 8 pm to midnight, with over a quarter (27%) of fatalities occurring during these hours.
- Among 18 & 19 year olds, nearly 30% of fatalities occurred between midnight and 3:59 am. Fatalities for this age group also increased in the late afternoon, between 4 pm and 5:59 pm. - Seat Belt Use
- 46% of teens who died were not wearing a seat belt
- 49% of teen males killed were not wearing a seat belt compared to 40% of teen females
Teen drivers tend to:
- Drive with smaller gaps between vehicles
- Use seatbelts less often
- Are involved in more single-car collisions Are overrepresented in nighttime and weekend collisions
- Are more likely to
- be at fault in a collision
- speed
- accumulate moving violations
- have teenage passengers, which increases crash risk
- violate traffic signs and signals
- overtake other vehicles in a risky manner
- fail to yield to pedestrians
16-20 year olds have the highest at-fault collision rate during the first year of licensure.
Research suggests teen drivers have less experience with nighttime driving than older drivers and for them, it is usually recreational, involves young passengers and alcohol or other drugs. Teen drivers are also overrepresented in collisions involving teen passengers at night.
The good news is there ARE things parents can do and there is a strong law in Washington State to help:
A new website (funded by a grant from State Farm) now exists for parents of teens in Washington, www.washingtonteendriversafetyweek.com.
Along with current laws governing new drivers, parents can have a real impact on their teens’ lives by setting limits before their teen gets behind the wheel and modeling responsible driving behavior. Studies show parents are still the single most influential factor in their teens driving.
The current Washington State law forbids driver’s with a provisional license to drive from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM. Although a large number of 16 and 17 year-old fatalities occur between these hours, a greater number of teens are killed between 9:00 PM and 12:59 AM. Parents can go beyond the law and limit (not prohibit) their teen’s driving from 9 PM to midnight.
Washington’s current law allows drivers with provisional licenses to carry up to 3 passengers. Collision risk is already high with the addition of one passenger and the risk of collision increases exponentially for teen drivers with 2 or more passengers. Decreasing the passenger limit throughout the entire provisional license phase can drastically reduce collision risk among teen drivers. Again, parents can provide added protection and go beyond the law to keep the “one only” passenger restriction in place during the entire first year.
The other good news—The Intermediate Driver’s License Law is working in Washington!
Since this law took effect on July 1, 2001, Washington has experienced a 41 percent drop in the number of fatal and disabling injuries involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers.