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AAA study says teen drivers kill others more than they kill themselves
Teenage drivers are dangerous, that's no revelation. AAA has analyzed the last decade of crash data by its AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and found that while deadly crashes are down overall, teenage drivers are still at least twice as lethal to other people as they are to themselves. While measures such as graduated licensing and improved driver training have brought down fatalities, more could still be done. Passengers in cars driven by teens continue to fare the worst, while other drivers, pedestrians and other non-motorists are also victims. The statistics certainly make parents contemplate carting around their progeny indefinitely, as AAA says that 49 states could beef up their graduated licensing programs. Add to the discussion the dismal state of driver training and the level of distraction many drivers (not just teens) inflict upon themselves while piloting 3,000-pound projectiles, and you might also start seriously considering telecommuting. Check out the official press release from AAA after the jump.
[Source: AAA | Photo by djuggler | CC2.0]
Majority of People Killed in Teen Crashes are Passengers and Other Drivers - Not Teen Drivers
Analysis shows large reduction in deaths for all road users as deadly teen driver crashes dropped during last decade, says AAA
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The majority of people killed in teen driver crashes continue to be people other than teen drivers themselves, according to an updated analysis of 10 years of crash data by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The analysis shows that about one-third of people killed in crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 17 are teen drivers themselves. Nearly two-thirds are passengers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.
"For every teen driver killed in a crash, almost twice as many other people die, which underscores the link between teen driver safety and the safety of everyone on the road," said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet.
Nationally, between 1998 and 2007, crashes involving 15-, 16- and 17-year-old drivers killed 28,138 people, of whom 10,388 (36.9%) were teen drivers themselves. The remaining 17,750 (63.1%) deaths included 8,829 passengers of the teen drivers, 6,858 occupants of other vehicles operated by adult drivers, and 2,063 non-motorists and others. A previous analysis in 2006 found that between 1995 and 2004, crashes involving 15-, 16- and 17-year-old drivers claimed the lives of 30,917 people, of whom 36.2 percent were teen drivers themselves and 63.6 percent were others.
"Young drivers face an array of potentially deadly challenges at the wheel," said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger. "Parents and teens need to understand the serious responsibility of driving and the risks and consequences involved."
AAA points to the drop in both teen driver deaths and the larger drop in deaths of others during the last decade as evidence that improving teen driver safety benefits all road users.
"During the last decade, as states improved their teen licensing systems and AAA has helped parents get more involved, we have seen reductions in teen driver deaths and even larger reductions in the number of other people killed," said Darbelnet. "Clearly, measures put into place to save teen drivers help us all."
AAA continues to call for comprehensive graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems that let new teen drivers gain experience under less-risky conditions. States with comprehensive GDL systems have been shown to reduce deaths among 16-year-old drivers by 38 percent. Forty-nine state GDL systems fall short of AAA guidelines.
AAA also encourages parents to play the leading role in developing their teen driver through regular dialogue, selecting a quality driving school, using a parent-teen driving agreement, extensive practice driving, and choosing a safe vehicle for their teen.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Ligor 5:37PM (3/03/2009)
maybe it's got something to do with the fact that at this age you're more likely to recover if you get hurt/sick and your bones still have a lot of flexibility in them as compared to older folks (which can provide a bit of extra cushion)
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That One Person 5:56PM (3/03/2009)
I was thinking that, too.
But they mention the passengers. Teens are dumb. Plain and simple.
I can't even count how many times I have seen teens zip past with others in their cars. I pull up next to them at the next light and NO ONE is wearing a seatbelt. I see this everyday because I happen to do a lot of driving.
And what some kids like to do around here (I won't go into specifics on who likes to do it...sorry don't feel like making anyone mad) is drive around hanging out the windows while doing 50-60mph on a 35mph road. These kids drive from a high school across town, drive to a rival high school in the same city, do a u-turn in front of this school (located on a busy street) then tear off back towards the other school. I have see eight kids in a five passenger car doing donuts in front of the high school while hanging out of the window. This happens on the last day of school...
Also, I think the reason why the other drivers and occupants are killed is because teens are dumb and like to drive while drunk. If you get into an accident while sober, you tense up and end up breaking bones and such. If you are drunk, you stay "limp".
Jared 8:01AM (3/04/2009)
+1 That one person.
teens are idiots. There are alot of parents (not saying you are one, but any autoblog reader knows the sheer amount of idiots on the roar) that do not teach their kids proper driving technique. It seems in America, everyone cares more about their speed then their road manners. I have seen too many times people obeying the speed limit to the T, and causing back ups in roads; which causes idiots to try things to get around them.
In reality, teens will always been horrible drivers, becuase the ones creating the statistics are usualy the offspring of horrible parent drivers. The kind of people who go 35MPH getting onto the high way, and hypermile in the fastlane. We could do what european countries do and raise the cost and expirence needed to get a drivers license... But then you would have all the idiots bitching about how they can't get to work and how driving is a "right" to them. Blah Blah Blah!
Take out the cupholders, Aux inputs, bluetooth, Navigation, etc. Heavily enforce road manners and not just speed limits. Maybe something will happen? But I doubt it.
aj121489 3:52PM (3/04/2009)
@ Jared/That One Person
So how does that make the teens the idiots? You said yourself the parents don't teach their kids. So how are they supposed to know? I'm 19 and I've had my license for almost 2 years now. I've never gotten in a car (ever) and not put on my seatbelt unless I was literally going around the corner in my neighborhood. I don't drink. Period.
Don't get me wrong, I know there are MANY teen drivers who are dumbasses and don't know how to drive and have no concept of what road manners are. I lived in South Florida for 18 years of my life and now live in Orlando, and I can't say one is much worse than the other from a driving perspective. I guess it's a little worse here because it's a 50k+ student college campus, but not much. It's not just the teens/early 20s that are guilty though.
I'm sorry but I just HATE it when people stereotype all teens as bad drivers and idiots. Many adults seem to forget that at one point they were teens too. They could at least be a little more specific and say "teens TODAY" lol
Bill E 5:47PM (3/03/2009)
Damn kids and they're rap music
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Gator 6:41PM (3/03/2009)
Damn adults and their grammar ;)
I'd like to point out that, although most are idiots, not ALL of us are maniacs on the road.
Miguel 4:24AM (3/04/2009)
Damned Autoblog commenters and their oneupsmanship!
aj121489 4:02PM (3/04/2009)
Thank you Gator I'm glad I'm not the only one. As much as I hate your avatar/name (at UCF, born UM fan lol) I agree lol
Sollord 5:49PM (3/03/2009)
Now we just need a study on the 65 and older crowd but the AARP will kill that one for sure
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AMcA 9:10PM (3/03/2009)
I've read that senior drivers are safer than believed. Whatever that means.
The post says notes dismal driver training. How about our super-lenient licensing standards, too. In the US, we've idiot-proofed our roads, and in the process, we've gotten way too many idiots driving.
Surprise!
Michael 5:51PM (3/03/2009)
B****** don't know 'bout my war.
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dc11 5:53PM (3/03/2009)
I don't think it will ever improve. They could push the driver age to 21 and you would still see similiar statistics as you would now for new drivers. New drivers will always be new drivers, or just plain inexperienced.
HOWEVER, I know people like the ACLU would have a field day on this idea, but they really need to institute an English proficiency test before you can pass the damn driving test in all states. Why? Its discriminatory you say? Well, I am an immigrant myself, but I can't stand it when someone slams on the brakes, or drives 5mph before every intersection just because they can't read what road they are on. All signs in the US are in English, and if you don't know how to read an important part of what driving needs, then you don't deserve a license.
There needs to be a slalom course on the driving test as well... where you must complete the slalom at a minimum speed to demonstrate hand eye coordination skills. That would at least weed out the "scared-type" drivers from being on the road... you know, the ones that signal but take 2 minutes before they SLOWLY move onto the next lane (straddling 2 lanes for about a mile before finally completing the lane change).
This would also weed out the senior citizens who are ticking time bombs from being on the road.
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Polly Prissy Pants 6:08PM (3/03/2009)
"They could push the driver age to 21 and you would still see similiar statistics as you would now for new drivers. New drivers will always be new drivers, or just plain inexperienced. "
While I agree, people under 21 are (generally speaking) very immature and tend to make poor choices. Yes there are exceptions and I don't need to hear them, I'm just saying. And I'm not advocating bumping the driving age to 21, but a more graduated scale would be better than simply handing over the keys to to every 16 year old who applies for a license.
Mike P. 6:24PM (3/03/2009)
I believe in the graduated system--with the government and with the teens' parents. Here in BC, it takes a year after getting your learners' to get your "New Driver" license (which allows you to drive alone, but not with more than one passenger). I think the government's gone as far as they can with the GL program.
However, the program should not end there. I know too many friends whose parents have just thrown them the keys when they got their licenses, and I have to say there is a tendency for those friends to take driving less seriously and drive more wrecklessly.
My parents are the opposite extreme. After getting my N, I still didn't drive alone for at least a month--and then, only in good weather when it's light out and to places I'd been with my parents before. Then, they slowly weened me off--driving in the night in the dry, then driving in the rain, and now they're fairly comfortable with me getting around our region (and I am too!).
While I admit to being a bit frustrated that my parents wouldn't let me go where I wanted to sometimes, I have to say their gradual approach has instilled a sense of responsibility in my driving, and I take it quite seriously now. It's easy to see the difference in my friends' driving habits, and there is a clear correlation between their parenting and their driving.
Then, there are other 'friends' who are just idiots and really shouldn't get their licenses until 21. Or 35.
Mike P. 6:27PM (3/03/2009)
One more note: I'm not as good a driver as my mom (my dad, on the other hand...). But that's not because of a lack of guidance, or a lack of training. It's a lack of experience.
No matter how much you 'graduate' and coach a new driver, and no matter how careful or responsible they are, there comes a point where what the new driver needs is experience. And there's no way to build that without... driving. So a new driver will always be 'worse' than a good, seasoned driver. It's just a matter of reducing that difference as much as possible with training.
Danny 9:53PM (3/03/2009)
"There needs to be a slalom course on the driving test as well... where you must complete the slalom at a minimum speed to demonstrate hand eye coordination skills. That would at least weed out the "scared-type" drivers from being on the road... you know, the ones that signal but take 2 minutes before they SLOWLY move onto the next lane (straddling 2 lanes for about a mile before finally completing the lane change)."
This also depends on your cars acceleration. Not that I take 2 min to lane change, but you would not believe how many people actually speed up when you put your signal on, I rather wait till they pass then having to rely on them breaking since they started to accelerate, that's an accident waiting to happen imo. All you need is one woops I hit the gas by accident then the brake.. blah blah, but of course some of the time I time torque converter lag, blah blah and get right in. That just depends on traffic.
Rather play it safe then get into an accident. 1 car length or 2 is not worth being injured for.
henrykrinkle 5:55PM (3/03/2009)
Okay, so their point is that in accidents with teen drivers, only one-third of the fatalities were the teen drivers themselves. But they don't compare that to non-teen drivers. Maybe one third of all accident deaths are one of the drivers involved. It doesn't say, so the "teen" part is irrelevant.
But yeah, teen drivers do suck.
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Mobius_1 5:58PM (3/03/2009)
I say we stick huge long nails onto steering wheels and see how far the deaths fall. See if anyone (teens or not) dare to use a phone and be totally careless and retarded while driving.
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Michael 6:01PM (3/03/2009)
I'm 18, and I get to see the worst of it. I'm an alright driver (if that), but I'm not dangerous.
Some of these kids, though, are just terrible. I saw some kid wreck a then-new GT500 right in front of our school because he was looking at his friend in the passenger seat. He ran into a guy making a left turn.
Made me weep for the cars these rich kids crash.
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Gator 6:47PM (3/03/2009)
I never understood (and undoubtably ever will) why some parents buy their kids the "performance" oriented version of a given car. My high school was filled with GTs (let alone GT500s). I mean, I can't think of one reason one would get a high-po model other than, well, speed.