Driving in October Appears Dangerous for Teens

October 2008

Recent data analysis done by State Farm indicates that October is a hazardous month for teen drivers. After evaluating auto accident claims data from 2003 to 2007, it was found that the number of claims for injury or collision damage involving teenagers ages 16 and 17 was 20 percent higher in October than in a typical month.

It is not known exactly why this is the case, but there are several theories. One is that teen drivers encounter more distractions during this time of the year – after school activities, football games, and homecoming, for example. Additionally, the days get darker sooner, meaning that teens face the added dangers of driving at night and at dusk.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has looked at fatal accident statistics for 16- to 19-year-old drivers and that data suggests that October has a larger number of teen driver fatalities than six other months in 2007. National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 19-25.