Safe Driving Resources
The Facts About Teen Driving

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Car crashes caused by teen drivers are the #1 killer of teens in America today. As you read the statistics below, keep in mind the most telling statistic of all: according to a recent survey, 89 percent of teens said their parents have the biggest influence on how they drive.
Click here for the facts.
The Epidemic
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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, killing between 5,000 and 6,000 teenagers every year.
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No other kind of hazard comes close to claiming as many teenage lives, including homicides (13 percent) and suicides (11 percent). (2002 figures)
A Teenager's Odds
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Teenage drivers account for 12.6 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.
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The fatal crash rates among 16- to 19-year-olds is four times that of older drivers.
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Risk is the highest at age 16, when the fatal crash rate is 40 percent higher than for 18 year-olds and 30 percent higher than for 19-year-olds.
The Enemies*
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Cell Phones
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56 percent of teens said they make and answer phone calls while driving.
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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.
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13 percent of teens said they send and respond to text messages while driving.
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Speeding
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17 percent of teens said speeding is fun.
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55 percent of teens said they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 mph.
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26 percent of self-identified "aggressive" teen drivers reported speeding by more than 20 mph over the limit.
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69 percent of teens who speed said they do so because they want to keep up with traffic.
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Peer Pressure
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44 percent of teens said they drive more safely without friends in the car.
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67 percent of teens said they have felt unsafe when someone else was driving.
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Only 45 percent said they would definitely speak up if someone were driving in a way that scared them.
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37 percent said they would ride with one or more friends who speed in the coming year.
*Statistics on teen views are from a recent Allstate Foundation survey.
The Allies
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Seat Belts
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Wearing lap/shoulder belts can reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 45 percent.
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Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use.
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Curfews
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More than 40 percent of teen auto deaths occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
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Almost 60 percent of teens’ night time auto deaths occur before midnight.