Teen Car Crash Statistics: It’s Scary, But Getting Better

It’s no secret that teenagers are involved in car crashes more frequently than any other age group. Fortunately, programming like drivers education and graduated license laws (also called GDL laws) have decreased the number of teen drivers and passengers involved in car accidents and those that result in crash deaths in recent years, but there’s still more work to do. We don’t want to scare you away from driving, but we do want to keep you safe and away from crashes and accidents. Here’s some statistics about teen drivers' involvement in motor vehicle accidents and crash rates that you should know:

Teens Injured in Car Crashes

In 2010, 282,000 teens were injured in car accidents. That’s about half the population of the state of Wyoming.

safe-driving Well now, this is just upsetting.

Teens Killed in Car Crashes

According to the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), 2,715 teen drivers aged 13-19 (vehicle occupants) died in fatal crashes and motor vehicle accidents in 2015. To put this teen fatality statistic in perspective, the number of teens who were killed in car accidents in 2015 was greater than the number of people who died from airplane crashes, lightning strikes, shark attacks, skydiving, snake bites, tornadoes, spider bites and earthquakes COMBINED!

These teen crashes don't only impact the driver. According to the AAA Foundation, 371,645 people were injured and 2,927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver in 2013. This number includes the driver, the teen's passengers, drivers hurt or fatally injured in other vehicles, and pedestrians on the street. Be safe, and keep others safe.

safe-driving Less scary than a car, Mr. Shark.

These statistics are part of the reason that auto insurance rates tend to be higher for young drivers. Companies like Geico, Progressive and State Farm take this information about crashes and accidents with teen drivers involved and raise their rates.

While you should be aware of these teen driving statistics, there’s something you can do help change them. Pay attention in drivers ed. Be safe on the road. Encourage your friends to be safe. Refrain from doing extremely dangerous things like drinking and driving, texting and driving, partaking in distracted driving, or driving when you’re tired. Be a defensive driver. Be a smart driver. Be a responsible driver who follows the rules and doesn't get distracted.

The good news is that the number of teenage motor deaths is going down! According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Association), there has been a 53% decrease in fatally serious accidents for 14-19 year-olds between 2005 and 2014. Let’s work together to make teens safer on the road and keep reducing the number of drivers killed each year. We know we can do it!