The Ultimate List of Teen Driving Statistics

March 9, 2022 Topic: Safety Tips

Top 25 Teen Driving Statistics

With motor vehicle crashes being the leading cause of death for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 20, it’s crucial for teens to put safety first before getting behind the wheel. With millions of new drivers on the road each year, collisions and accidents are bound to happen. To educate and spread awareness for safe driving, we’ve gathered the top teen driving statistics below.

Teen Driving Accidents Stats

The most fatal car accidents with a teen at the wheel happen within six months of obtaining a license – (Carinsurance.net)
Teen drivers aged 16–19 years were almost 3 times as likely to be involved in fatal nighttime crashes than adult drivers aged 30–59 years per mile driven – (National Household Travel Survey)
18% of teenage motor vehicle crashes occurred from 9 pm-midnight – (Teen Driver Source)
In 2019, 52% of fatal motor vehicle crashes that included teens occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday – (CDC)
Excessive speed is at the root of more than 25% of fatal crashes among teenagers – (KBB)
16- or 17-year-old driver’s risk of death increases 44% when carrying one passenger younger than 21 – (AAA Foundation)
1 in 5 teen drivers has an accident within the first year of driving – (Southern States Insurance)

Teen Distracted Driving

What Is distracted driving?

According to NHTSA, distracted driving is anything that takes the driver’s attention away from safe driving. This can take many forms, including talking or texting on the phone, eating and drinking, conversing with people in the vehicle, or fiddling with the entertainment system.

The most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver according to AAA include:

Interacting with one or more passengers: 15% of crashes
Cell phone use: 12% of crashes
Looking at something in the vehicle: 10% of crashes
Looking at something outside the vehicle: 9% of crashes
Singing/moving to music: 8% of crashes
Grooming: 6%of crashes
Reaching for an object: 6% of crashes

Distracted Teen Driving Statistics

On average, eight teenagers lose their lives every day due to drinking and driving – (Gaytravel)
Kids who start drinking young are 7x more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash – (MADD)
17% of fatal accidents among teens aged 16–17 involved drinking alcohol in 2019 – (IIHS)
94% of teens acknowledge that texting while driving is dangerous, yet 35% of teens still text while driving – (Arrive Alive Tour)
56% of teen drivers admit to talking on the phone while driving (JD Supra)
Almost 60% of drunk teenage drivers involved in fatalities weren’t using a seatbelt – (Edgar Snyder)
1 in 5 teen drivers has an accident within the first year of driving – (Southern States Insurance)

Teen Driving Fatalities

What is a traffic fatality?

A road fatality is the result of any person killed immediately or dying within 30 days of a road injury accident.

Teen Driving Fatality Statistics

Every day, 11 teenagers get killed due to texting and driving – (Victoria Advocate)
The fatal crash rate is almost three times higher among teenagers – (IIHS)
For 16-19-year-olds, the fatal crash risk per mile driven is three times higher than drivers over age 20 – (CDC)
Around 7% of all road casualties were teenagers in 2019 – (Bumper)
In 2018, 63% of deaths among passenger vehicle occupants ages 16-19 were drivers – (KBB)
In 2019, 45% of teen drivers killed in crashes weren’t wearing a seat belt – (Teen Driver Source)
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is now known as the 100 Deadliest Days — with an average of 10 people dying from car crashes involving a teen driver every day in the summer. – (AAA)

Texas Teen Driving

Texas has the highest number of teen driving deaths in the country, making it the top cause of teen fatalities in the state. Further, AAA states that Texas also has more summertime crash deaths involving teen drivers than any other state.

Texas Teen Driving Statistics

42% of Texas teens killed in motor vehicle accidents in a recent year were not wearing seat belts – (The Texas Department of Transportation)
For the most recent decade reported, there were 2,318 deaths on Texas roadways involving teen drivers – (CDC)
39.3% of Texas teens reported texting and driving – (360 Quote)
7.1% of Texas teens reported drinking and driving – (360 Quote)
750 people were killed just in Texas in crashes involving teen drivers in the past ten years – (AAA)

Put Safety First When Behind The Wheel

Despite increasing innovations in automotive technology, teen driving remains a cause for concern in 2022. From making informed decisions while behind the wheel to keeping up with regular car maintenance, it’s vital for teens to prioritize their safety on the road. With brake failure accounting for 300,000 crashes per year, it’s critical to have properly functioning brakes on your car.

Contact Brakes To Go for mobile brake repair if you sense your vehicle is in need of any brake services. Brakes To Go offers brake service in Austin, Texas and brake service in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas.