27 Positive Facts About Teenage Driving

27 Awesome Teenage Driving Statistics

When it comes to teen drivers, there are so many cliches: They’re prone to distracted driving, have trouble learning to drive, abuse their driving privileges, and so on. In reality, however, when it comes to teenage drivers and teen driving behavior, there are a lot of positives to keep in mind. By reading this article, you’ll discover encouraging statistics and learn how various measures improve teen driving safety. We’ll cover critical points like the benefits of graduated driver licensing systems and the impact of parental involvement. Through these insights, you’ll see how teens can develop safer driving habits. So, dive in and explore how teenage drivers are making our roads safer with these 27 positive facts about teenage driving.

In 2016, 1,916 teenage drivers (ages 15 to 20) died in motor vehicle crashes. In 2017, 1,830 teen drivers were killed in automobile accidents. That averages out to roughly six deaths per day.
The figures above do not include the deaths of passengers, nor do they include deaths of those in other cars, bicyclists, or pedestrians.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and disability among American teens.
For instance, in 2018, nearly 2,500 teens died in automobile accidents and 285,000 teens aged 13-19 were treated for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes.
The economic impact is huge, too. Fatal and nonfatal motor vehicle crash injuries among teens 13–19 years of age in 2018 resulted in $11.8 billion in medical and work loss costs.
And the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teen drivers (16-19) than any other age group.
Teen drivers are far more likely to crash if impaired, whether via distracted driving, under the influence, or with peers.
More than 75 percent of serious teen driver crashes are the result of a critical driving error.
In particular, most teen driver accidents are the result of one of three critical errors: Distractions (whether inside or outside the vehicle), speeding (or simply going too fast for road conditions), or lack of scanning (especially the level of scanning necessary to detect and respond to hazards).
The most common types of accidents involve left turns, rear-enders, or running off the road.
Among teen drivers involved in fatal accidents in 2018, 30% of male drivers and 18% of female drivers were speeding—both higher percentages than for any other age group.
Teen distracted driving is common: A 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among teen drivers, 39 percent texted or emailed at least once while driving in the previous 30 days.
Parents can help model safe teenage driving behavior by demonstrating safe driving techniques and insisting on seat belt use, as well as by limiting nighttime driving and peer passengers.
Teens regularly have the lowest seat belt use rates. While 87 percent of young adults (ages 16-24) wore seat belts regularly in the years 2016-2018, the adult rate (ages 25 or older) was greater than 90 percent each of those years, and in 2019, 43 percent of American high school students admitted they did not always wear a seat belt when someone else was driving.
Of teen fatalities in automobile accidents in 2018, nearly half were unrestrained at the time of the crash.
Nighttime and weekend driving are especially dangerous for teen drivers; 37 percent of teen motor vehicle fatalities in 2018 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, and 52 percent occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
According to a survey by Safe Kids Worldwide, 75% of teenagers buckle their seat belts every time they drive an automobile.
In Hawaii, 4.7 percent of motor vehicle crash fatalities involved teen drivers; Rhode Island led the nation at 18.1 percent. The national average is 12.8 percent.
When looked at per mile, drivers aged 16-19 are three times more likely than drivers 20 or older to be involved in a fatal automobile accident.
Teen male drivers are nearly twice as likely to be killed as females.
Teen drivers with teen passengers are far more likely to be in accidents, especially if they are unsupervised teen drivers. Each additional teen passenger increases that risk.
Newly licensed teens are especially at risk; teens are far more likely to be involved in an automobile accident during their first months of licensure.
Sixteen-year-old drivers, for instance, are 1.5 times more likely (on a per-mile-driven basis) to be in a crash than 18- and 19-year-old drivers.
And teen drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash if they’ve been drinking—even at blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) below the legal BAC limit for adults.
Nearly 17 percent of American high school students rode with a driver who had been drinking at least once in the past 30 days in one 2019 survey.
Among American high school drivers in that same survey, 5.4 percent drove after drinking alcohol at least in the past 30 days.
In 2018, fifteen percent of drivers aged 16-20 involved in fatal automobile accidents had a BAC of 0.08% or higher.

It’s important for you to remember that all this data can help you monitor your teen’s driving behavior. You can use it to help your teenage driver become a better, safer driver. By staying informed and involved, you can guide your teen to develop good driving habits.

The Best Way For Teenagers To Become Better Drivers

So clearly it’s important that teenage drivers are educated when learning to drive, that road safety is stressed for novice drivers, and driving practice is encouraged by adults who can model safe driving behavior. How else can parents help encourage safe teen driving?

Education is a key component. Ensuring that their children understand the leading causes of motor vehicle crash rates and what their crash risk might be can help prevent car accidents and teen death. The leading causes of teen crashes include:

Teen driver inexperience
Driving with teen passengers
Nighttime driving
Not using seat belts/improper seatbelt safety
Distracted driving (whether texting, calling, talking to peers, etc)
Drowsy driving
Reckless driving
Impaired driving

According to the Center for Disease Control, roughly half of all teen deaths in automobile accidents were not wearing a seat belt.

Two other measures that have greatly decreased teen deaths are zero-tolerance laws for underage drinkers and GDL systems. Specifically, the parent-teen driving component of GDL systems helps reduce risk factors. Additionally, restrictions on nighttime driving and teen passengers lower risks for novice drivers. As you learn driving skills, these measures ensure safer experiences on the road.

Graduated driver licensing systems are associated with 26-41% decreases in fatal crashes and 16-22% decreases in teen crashes.

Why Teenage Driving Dangerous

Although these 27 awesome facts about teenage driving are encouraging, teen drivers still face higher risks. In fact, teen drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal motor vehicle incidents than other drivers. Consequently, many believe parents play a significant role in shaping a teen’s driving habits. Therefore, some groups think making parents of newly licensed drivers more accountable can make roads safer. For instance, by requiring a teen and/or parent to be financially responsible for traffic infractions, they hope to reduce vehicle-related fatalities in the 17-25 age group significantly. Moreover, with more parental influence, crashes involving teens and risky driving, in general, can be reduced. One effective method is using GPS tracking devices to monitor teen driving habits.

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Teenage drivers tend to drive fast and pay attention less, creating an increased risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes. This is where GPS tracking technology is helping highway safety among teens. GPS car trackers are simple devices that record driving activity, regardless if it’s good or bad. Speeds traveled, routes driven, and stops made are only a few of the important details a GPS will document. The reason why vehicle tracking devices are so effective in teen driving safety applications is that they provide parents with the tools necessary to understand their son or daughter’s driving performance or skills. GPS tracking systems supply parents with an easy way to spot bad driving habits and correct them before they become potentially fatal!

As effective as teen GPS tracking systems are at illuminating poor driving habits they can only be effective if parents review the GPS tracking information and teach their kids the problems and consequences of unsafe driving. Text messaging while driving is a problem, but so is speeding, playing with a radio, or talking on the phone. Parents need to first find out if their teen drivers are engaging in any dangerous driving behaviors then shape them more positively!

Positive Facts About Teenage Driving – Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Minimum Age For Teen Drivers To Legally Drive In The US?

The minimum age for legal driving in the US varies by state, but it’s typically 16 years old. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GDL laws require teens to complete supervised driving hours. You must finish a certain number of supervised driving hours before obtaining a full license.

How Can Parents Ensure Their Teen Passengers Are Safe While Driving?

You can ensure your teen passengers stay safe by setting ground rules for your teen driver. Always follow seat belt laws and prohibit texting while driving. Additionally, limit the number of passengers in the vehicle. This reduces the crash risk for novice teen drivers.

What Are Some Driving Skills That Teen Drivers Should Focus On?

You should focus on developing your driving skills by practicing in various conditions. Practice driving at nighttime, in inclement weather, and on different road types. Learning to handle emergency situations is also crucial. Additionally, be aware of your vehicle’s blind spots.

How Does The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) System Help Reduce Crash Risk For Teen Drivers?

The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system helps reduce crash risk for teen drivers. It gradually exposes them to more complex driving situations. The GDL system includes a learner’s permit stage, an intermediate stage, and a full license stage. Each stage has increasingly stringent requirements. By requiring teens to build driving experience gradually and with supervision, the GDL system reduces crash risks.

What Are Some Driving Safety Tips For Teen Drivers?

Teen drivers can improve their driving safety by focusing on the following tips: always wear a seat belt, avoid distracted driving, don’t drink and drive, drive defensively, obey traffic laws, and get plenty of practice driving in a variety of conditions. Additionally, teen drivers need to recognize their limitations and avoid engaging in risky driving behaviors.

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Joy Nguyen

Teen Safety Expert & Writer at Tracking System Direct

Joy Nguyen is a freelance writer based in California with a focus on education and teen safety. She frequently writes about teen driving safety, providing essential statistics and safety tips for concerned parents.