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

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, killing between 5,000 and 6,000 teenagers every year.
• 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

• Teenage drivers account for 12.6 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.
• The fatal crash rates among 16- to 19-year-olds is four times that of older drivers.
• 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*

• Cell Phones
  • 56 percent of teens said they make and answer phone calls while driving.
  • 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.
  • 13 percent of teens said they send and respond to text messages while driving.
• Speeding
  • 17 percent of teens said speeding is fun.
  • 55 percent of teens said they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 mph.
  • 26 percent of self-identified "aggressive" teen drivers reported speeding by more than 20 mph over the limit.
  • 69 percent of teens who speed said they do so because they want to keep up with traffic.
• Peer Pressure
  • 44 percent of teens said they drive more safely without friends in the car.
  • 67 percent of teens said they have felt unsafe when someone else was driving.
  • Only 45 percent said they would definitely speak up if someone were driving in a way that scared them.
  • 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

• Seat Belts
  • Wearing lap/shoulder belts can reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 45 percent.
  • Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use.
• Curfews
  • More than 40 percent of teen auto deaths occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
  • Almost 60 percent of teens’ night time auto deaths occur before midnight.