The teenagers are the ones who tend to drive
less than any other age group, with the exception of the elderly. Conversely,
however, the numbers of crashes and crash deaths in the United States are
disproportionately high on teenagers. In fact, the fatality rate per mile
driven of teenagers 16 to 19 years old is said to be almost 3 times higher than
that of drivers ages 20 or above.
In addition, the risk of getting severely or
fatally injured in a vehicle crash is much more likely to happen to teenagers
aged 16 to 17. In fact, the fatality rate per mile driven for that specific age
group is just about twice as high as for teens aged 18 to 19 years old. Indeed,
teenagers, among all age groups, are more likely to get fatally injured in
motor vehicle crashes.
This time around, though, the incidents of
crash deaths among teenagers have been decreasing over the past few years. In
fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
at least 3,023 teenagers aged 13 to 19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2011.
Comparing it with the previous years, said figure is 65 percent fewer than that
of 1975 (8,748) and 3 percent fewer than in 2010 (3,121). Said figure also
accounted for 10 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in the United States
(32,367).
Out of 3,023 motor vehicle accident deaths
among teenagers, 11 percent of them were passenger vehicle occupants, or those
who rode cars, pickups, SUVs, and vans. About seven percent were pedestrians,
while only 3 percent were motorcyclists.
Incidentally, motor vehicle crashes were the
leading causes of death among teenage males and females in the United States
aged 13 to 19 years old, according to the latest statistical data available
from 2010. Homicide and suicide placed second and third respectively.
