Risk Factors for Teen Drivers

Key points

  • The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16–19 than among any other age group.
  • Certain behaviors, like not wearing a seat belt, can increase risk.
  • Teen drivers are more at risk when driving at night or on weekends.
Busy freeway at night with car headlights

Overview

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.1 Teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road.

About 2,800 teens in the United States ages 13–19 were killed12 and about 227,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020.1 That means that every day, about eight teens died due to motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more were injured. Motor vehicle crash deaths among teens 13–19 years of age resulted in about $40.7 billionA in medical costs and cost estimates for lives lost in 2020.1

Who's at risk

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16–19 than among any other age group. Teen drivers in this age group have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older per mile driven.2

Teens who are at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes include:

  • Males
    • The motor vehicle crash death rate for male drivers ages 16–19 years was three times as high as the death rate for female drivers in the same age group in 2020.2
  • Teens driving with teen or young adult passengers
    • The presence of teen or young adult passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with each additional teen or young adult passenger.34
  • Newly licensed teens
    • Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure.567 For example, data indicate that the crash rate per mile driven is about 1.5 times as high for 16-year-old drivers as it is for 18–19-year-old drivers.2

Risk factors

Inexperience:

  • Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not be able to recognize dangerous situations.89 Teens are also more likely than adults to make critical errors that can lead to serious crashes.1011

Nighttime and weekend driving:

  • Nighttime driving is riskier than daytime driving for drivers of all ages but is particularly dangerous for teen drivers.
  • The fatal crash rate at night among teen drivers (ages 16–19 years) is about 3 times as high as that of adult drivers (ages 30–59 years) per mile driven.2
  • 44% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teens ages 13–19 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, and 50% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in 2020.2

Not using seat belts:

  • Teens and young adults often do not consistently wear a seat belt.
    • Among teen drivers and passengers 16–19 years of age who were killed in car crashes in 2020, 56%B were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.2
    • 43.1% of U.S. high school students did not always wear a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else in 2019.12
    • Data from annual studies where researchers observe people's seat belt use in cars indicate that seat belt use in the front seat among teens and young adults (16–24 years of age) is consistently lower than seat belt use among adults (25 years of age and older).13

Distracted driving:

  • Distraction negatively affects driving performance for all drivers but can be especially dangerous for young, inexperienced drivers.
  • In 2019, among U.S. high school students who drove, 39% texted or e-mailed while driving at least once during the prior 30 days.12

Speeding:

  • Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and to allow shorter distances from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next.141516 These risky driving behaviors appear to be worse when a male teenage passenger is present.16
  • 35% of male drivers and 18% of female drivers (ages 15–20 years) who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash in 2020.17

Drinking alcohol:

  • Drinking any amount of alcohol before driving increases crash risk among teen drivers.218 Teen drivers have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers at the same blood alcohol concentration (BAC), even at BAC levels below the legal limit for adults.18
  • Results from the 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed the following:12
    • Among U.S. high school students who drove, 5.4% drove when they had been drinking alcohol at least once during the 30 days before the survey.
    • Driving after drinking alcohol was higher among students who were older, male, Hispanic, or had lower grades.
    • 16.7% of U.S. high school students rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol at least once during the 30 days before the survey.
    • Riding with a drinking driver was higher among Hispanic students or students with lower grades.
    • Students who engaged in any of the other transportation risk behaviors measured by the survey were approximately 3–13 times as likely to have also engaged in driving after drinking alcohol at least once during the 30 days before the survey.
  • Even though it's illegal to drink alcohol or drive after drinking any alcohol for people who are under 21 years old, 2020 data revealed that:17
    • 29% of drivers ages 15–20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking.
    • 17% of drivers ages 15–20 who were involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes had a BAC of 0.08% or higher—a level that is illegal for adults in all U.S. states (Note: Utah has a BAC limit of 0.05%).
    • 62%C of drivers ages 15–20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.
    • 24% of male drivers ages 15–20 years and 17% of female drivers ages 15–20 years who were involved in fatal crashes had been drinking prior to the crash.

Using drugs/substances:

  • Driving while impaired by any substance is dangerous and illegal. This includes driving while impaired by alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drugs, prescription medications, and/or over-the-counter medications.1920
  • Many types of drugs/substances have the potential to impair a teen's ability to drive safely.19
  • After alcohol, marijuana is the most common drug associated with impaired driving.1921
  • Marijuana has negative effects on judgment, motor coordination, decision-making, and reaction time—all of which are important skills for safe driving.1922232425
  • Marijuana use before driving has been associated with an increased risk for motor vehicle crashes.232426
  • Among U.S. high school students who drove, about 13% drove when they had been using marijuana during the 30 days before the survey according to results from the 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey.2728
  • Declines in ability to drive safely and risk for motor vehicle crashes may be greater when driving after using both marijuana and alcohol as compared with driving after using marijuana by itself or alcohol by itself.293031323334
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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. In 2020 U.S. dollars
  2. Seat belt use/nonuse was known for 1,658 of the 1,874 teens ages 16–19 years who were killed as passenger vehicle occupants (as drivers or as passengers) in 2020. Among the 1,658 teens who were killed as passenger vehicle occupants and for which seat belt use/nonuse was known, 936 (56%) were not wearing a seat belt.
  3. These percentages are based on teen drivers ages 16–19 years who were killed as passenger vehicle occupants and for which seat belt use/nonuse was known.
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