Teens’ Biggest Dangers

Newly licensed teens crash much more often than older, more experienced drivers. These are the circumstances that are the most common trouble areas for young drivers:

Speeding

We have seen a disturbing increase in speeding in the last 2 years. According to NHTSA, in 2022, speeding was a factor in 30% of fatal crashes among teen drivers 15–18 years. The rate of these fatalities among males was nearly double that of females. Spend time talking to your teen about speeding and model this by following the speed limit yourself. Lastly, studies show that teens are less likely to speed if they drive the family car, instead of having their own vehicle.

Teen passengers

Risky teen driving behaviors increase in the presence of teen passengers. A teen who is driving with other teens in the car is more likely to crash. The more kids there are in the car, the stronger the likelihood of a crash. This is the primary reason many states have passed laws that restrict the ability of teens to drive with peers.

Seat belts

It’s a shocking statistic, but 51% of teen drivers killed in 2021 were unbuckled.Seat belts stop you from being thrown out of the vehicle, and help you stay seated and in control of the vehicle. They also stop you from hitting the windshield, dashboard, steering wheel, or other hard parts of the vehicle. Hitting the wind shield at 30 mph is like falling from the third story of a building and hitting the pavement. Learn more about Seat Belts on the NHTSA website.

Drugs and alcohol

Teens are at far greater risk of death in an alcohol-related crash than the overall population. This is despite the fact they cannot legally buy or consume alcohol in any state. When alcohol is added to the inexperience of teen drivers, the results can be deadly. In 2021, nearly 27% of teenagers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking. Marijuana is the drug that’s most commonly found in the blood of drivers who have been in a car crash. It is important to enforce a zero-tolerance policy at home. If your teen uses any alcohol or drugs, they cannot drive, nor should they ride with anyone who has been drinking or using drugs — in any amount. See Parents: Talk to Your Teen Driver About Safe Driving for more information.

Fatigue

As teens get older their bedtimes get later, but waking times do not tend to change. From ages 13 to 19, nightly sleep is reduced by 40–50 minutes. Teen drivers who sleep less than 8 hours a night are 33 percent more likely to crash than teens who get more than 8 hours of sleep. This lack of sleep can result in a decreased ability to process information, be attentive, and have good reflexes, which are all crucial to safe driving. Studies have shown that being awake for 18 hours has a similar impact to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08.

Inexperience

Just as it takes years to perfect any skill – athletic, artistic, or otherwise – it also takes years to be a truly good driver. Until teens are much more experienced, they run a greater risk of crashing, being hurt, and potentially dying. A driver’s license makes them a driver. Experience helps them become safer drivers.

Night driving

For teens, the most severe crashes occur at night and on weekends. Night driving is challenging for all drivers, but novice drivers do not have the experience to anticipate and react when visibility is reduced. When teens drive at night, it is more often with a lack of adult supervision, with other teen passengers, and at higher speeds – all of which are factors that increase risk.