Teen Driver Car Crash Statistics

Teenage Drivers

Teenagers and Cars Can Be A Deadly Combination

Please note that many 2011 and 2012 national and Pennsylvania teen accident statistics have not yet been released. Please check back frequently for updated stats and facts on young drivers, traffic crashes involving teens, and teen crashes and alcohol involvement.

Before you hand over the car keys to your teenager, know the facts. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 20. Here are more shocking statistics concerning teenage drivers:

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, “driving too fast for conditions” is the biggest reason 16- to 17-year-old drivers are involved in crashes.
Approximately 211 teens ages 16 to 17 were killed in the U.S. in motor vehicle crashes from January-June 2011, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Car accidents remain the number one killer of teens, even though traffic deaths have dropped 62 percent for all drivers since 1975.
Unsupervised teen passengers increase the risk of a teen driver wrecking. This risk increases with the amonut of teen passengers. Teen drivers riding with other passengers doubles the risk of a fatal car crash. With two or more passengers, the risk increases up to five times the normal risk. ("Distractions Challenge Teen Drivers." USA Today. January 26, 2007.)
Teens are more likely to underestimate hazardous driving conditions or are unable to recognize them at all.
Sixty-one percent of teens admit to risky driving habits. For example, teens are more likely to speed and allow shorter distances between cars than any other age group.
Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. 10% of high school students surveyed said they rarely ever or never wear a seat belt when riding with someone else.
It is estimated that on average, for every driver age 15 to 17 killed in a crash, there are nearly two other people who are killed in the accident.
Drivers under the age of 20 have a crash rate about 3.5 times the rate of mature drivers. Crash rates are highest at age 16. The crash rate for drivers ages 16 and 17 are nearly nine times as high as that for middle-aged drivers.

Teen Drivers, Cell Phones, and Texting

18% of all teen motor vehicle crash fatalities that took place in 2009 involved distracted driving.
12% of distracted drivers involved in fatal car accidents were teens ages 15 to 19.
691 people died in car accidents that invovled distracted teen drivers in 2009.
Teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident than any other age group. Car accidents remain the number one cause of death of people 16 to 20 years old.
Talking on a cell phone can double the likelihood of an accident and can slow a young driver’s reaction time to that of a 70-year-old.
The highest degree of distracted driving takes place in the age group below 20 years.
56% of teens in general admit to talking on the cell phone while driving and 13% of teens admit to texting while driving.
52% of teens age 16 and 17 admit that they make and answer phone calls while driving.
34% of teens age 16 and 17 admit that they send and respond to text messages while driving.
48% of Americans between 12 and 17 report that they have been in a car when the driver was engaged in text messaging.

2010 Pennsylvania Teen Car Accident Statistics

Fatalities in a car accident that involved a 16- or 17-year-old increased to 57 teens in 2010.

2009 Teen Driver Car Crash Statistics

3,214 teens ages 15 to 19 were killed in car accidents in 2009.
Young drivers between 15 and 20 years old accounted for 6.4% (13.3 million) of total drivers on the road in 2009.
In 2009, 11% of the drivers who were involved in fatal crashes were between the ages of 15 and 20.
In 2009, 2,336 young drivers were killed, and 196,000 more were injured.
There were 3,589 male drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2009, as opposed to 1,558 female drivers. Also, there were 1,682 male driver fatalities, as opposed to 654 female fatalities.
For young drivers involved in fatal crashes, 31 percent of those who didn’t have valid operator’s licenses also had previous license suspensions at the time of the collision.
Of the 5,148 young drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2009, nearly 20 percent had previous speeding convictions. More than 950 had been convicted previously with other harmful or moving offenses.

2009 Teen Drinking and Driving Statistics

In 2009, 33 percent of the young drivers ages 15 to 20 who were killed in crashes had a BAC of .01 or higher; 28 percent had a BAC of .08 or higher, above the legal limit.
Nearly two-thirds (60 percent) of young drivers involved in fatal crashes who were drinking didn’t use a seat belt. Of the young drivers who were drinking and died in accidents, 70 percent didn’t use a seat belt.
Of young drivers ages 15 to 20, 41 percent of those who were 20 years old and were fatally injured had a BAC of .01 or higher.

2009 Teen Motorcycle Accident Statistics

In 2009, 205 young motorcyclists (ages 15 to 20) were killed, and an additional 5,000 were injured.
Of the young motorcycle riders who were fatally injured, 26 percent were not wearing helmets.
Of the young motorcycle riders who were fatally injured, 39 percent were either unlicensed or driving with one that wasn’t valid.

2008 Teen Driver Car Crash Statistics

5,864 teen drivers ages 15-20 were involved in fatal crashes in 2008.
Young drivers between 15 and 20 years old accounted for 6.4% (13.2 million) of total drivers on the road in 2008.
An average of nine teens between 16-19 were killed every day from motor vehicle injuries in 2008.
2,739 15-20 year-old drivers were killed and an additional 228,000 were injured in crashes in 2008.
A total of 4,054 teens between 13-19 died in crashes in 2008.
81% of teen car crash fatalities in 2008 were passenger vehicle occupants.
In 2008, 63% of teenage passenger deaths occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager.
20% of teen deaths from car accidents in 2008 occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight. 56% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
In 2008, August had the highest number of teenage crash deaths of any month.
In 2008, 12% of all drivers involved in fatal accidents were young drivers age 15-20 years old.
14% of all drivers involved in police-reported crashes were young drivers.
About 2 out of every 3 teens killed in car accidents in 2008 were male.
Per mile driven, teen drivers between 16 and 19 are four times more likely to crash than more experienced drivers.
In a study of crashes involving young drivers from 1998-2007, it was found that:

36.9% of people killed in young driver crashes were the young drivers themselves
31.4% were passengers of young drivers
24.4% were occupants of other vehicles
7.0% were non-motorists.

In 2008, there were 87,004 drivers age 16 and 17 on the roads in Pennsylvania.
There were 242 fatalities in accidents involving young drivers (ages 15-20) in Pennsylvania in 2008:

112 of the deaths were young drivers themselves
64 of the deaths were passengers of young drivers
52 were occupants of other vehicles involved in the crashes
14 of the deaths were non-occupants

2008 Teen Drinking and Driving Statistics

25% of drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in car crashes had a BAC of 0.08 or higher in 2008.
In 2008, 63% of young drunk drivers involved, but not necessarily killed, in fatal crashes weren’t wearing seat belts.
Almost three out of every four teen drivers killed in car crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.

2008 Teen Motorcycle Accident Statistics

During 2008, 346 young motorcycle riders (age 15-20) were killed and an additional 8,000 were injured.
35% of the bikers between 15 and 20 who were fatally injured in crashes in 2008 were not wearing helmets.
Of the young bikers involved in fatal crashes in 2008, 43% were either unlicensed or driving with an invalid license.
In 2008, 26% of young male motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared to 13% of young female riders.
Among bikers ages 16-19 involved in fatal crashes in 2008, 49% were involved in single-vehicle crashes.

2007 Teen Driver Car Crash Statistics

In 2007, 4,946 teenagers ages 13 to 19 died in motor vehicle crashes.
From 1998 to 2007, 36.9 percent of people killed in young driver crashes were the young drivers themselves, 31.4 percent were passengers of young drivers, 24.4 percent were occupants of other vehicles, and 7 percent were non-motorists.
Approximately 2 out of every 3 teenagers killed in auto accidents in 2007 were males.
Teenagers accounted for 10 percent of the population in the United States in 2007 and accounted for 12 percent of car accident deaths.
Teens comprised 14 percent of passenger vehicle (cars, SUVs, pickups,and vans) occupant deaths among all ages, 7 percent of pedestrian deaths, 5 percent of motorcyclist deaths, and 12 percent of bicyclist deaths.
In 2005, the latest year for which data is available, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among 13- to 19-year-olds in the United States. Thirty-three percent of deaths among 13- to 19-year-olds occurred in motor vehicle crashes.
61 percent of teen passenger deaths in 2007 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 20 percent occurred when a teenager was driving.
In 2007, seat belt use among fatally injured drivers ages 16 to 19 (40 percent) was higher than among fatally injured drivers ages 20 to 29 (34 percent) but lower than among drivers 30 and older.
Among fatally injured 16- to 19-year-old occupants, seat belt use among passengers (31 percent) was lower than among drivers (40 percent).
Among teenage passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal accidents, 48 percent were involved in single vehicle crashes in 2007.
The fatality rate per 100,000 people in 2007 peaked at age 19 for male drivers (22.5 per 100,000) and at age 18 for male passengers (12.4 per 100,000). Death rates peaked at age 18 for female drivers (9.5 per 100,000) and at age 17 and 18 for female passengers (7.6 per 100,000).
In 2007, 55 percent of motor vehicle crash fatalities among teens occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
In 2007, 34 percent of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths occurred between 6 pm and midnight.
Approximately 18 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers ages 16 to 17 had BACs (blood alcohol content) of 0.08 percent or higher in 2006, down 57 percent since 1982.
In 2007, fatally injured female teenage drivers were less likely than male teenage drivers to have high BACs. The rate was 22 percent for males and 11 percent for females.

2006 Teen Driver Car Crash Statistics

In 2006, 5,156 teenagers ages 13 to 19 died in motor vehicle crashes.
About two out of every three teenagers killed in auto accidents in 2006 were males.
Teenagers accounted for 10 percent of the U.S. population in 2006 and 12 percent of car crash fatalities.
Teens comprised 14 percent of passenger vehicle (cars, SUVs, pickups,and vans) occupant deaths among all ages, seven percent of pedestrian deaths, four percent of motorcyclist deaths, and 10 percent of bicyclist deaths.
In 2006, 61 percent of fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants ages 16-19 were drivers.
Sixty-two percent of teen passenger deaths in 2006 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 20 percent occurred when a teenager was driving.
Among teenage passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal accidents, about half were involved in single vehicle crashes in 2006.
In 2006, 54 percent of motor vehicle crash fatalities among teens occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
In 2006, 34 percent of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths occurred between 6 pm and midnight.
Approximately 18 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers ages 16 to 17 had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher in 2006, down from 57 percent since 1982.

2005 Teen Driver Car Crash Statistics

In 2005, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among 13- to 19-year-old males and females in the United States. Thirty-three percent of deaths among 13- to 19-year-olds occurred in motor vehicle crashes.
During 2005, almost 400,000 teenagers in auto accidents sustained injuries serious enough to require emergency treatment.
16- to 19-year-olds are at the highest risk to be involved in a car accident. This age group is four times more likely than older drivers to crash.
In 2005, teenagers accounted for 10 percent of the U.S. population and 12 percent of crash accident victims.
Male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 were more than 1.5 times more likely than their female peers to be involved in a fatal car crash.
Of male drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who were involved in a fatal crash, 38 percent were speeding and 24 percent had consumed alcohol.
In 2005, drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in a motor vehicle accident had a BAC of .08 or higher.
A 2005 national survey found nearly 30 percent of teens reported that they had ridden with a driver who had consumed alcohol within the previous month. One in ten reported driving after drinking alcohol within the same period. Among teen drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents after drinking and driving, 74 percent were unrestrained.
In 2005, half of the teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3p.m. and midnight. 54 percent occurred on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Looking for more statistics? View our accident statistics page.