Facts + Statistics: Teen drivers

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens according to the Centers for Disease Control’s Teen Driver Fact Sheet. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,908 drivers age 15 to 20 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2016, basically unchanged from 1,903 in 2015.

Drivers age 15 to 20 accounted for 9 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2016 and 12 percent of all drivers involved in police-reported crashes. In contrast, young drivers accounted for 5.4 percent of total drivers in the United States.

Twenty-four percent of drivers ages 15 to 20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2016 had been drinking some amount of alcohol; 19 percent were alcohol-impaired, which is defined by a blood alcohol content of 0.08 grams per deciliter or higher. Almost half (47 percent) of the young drivers killed in crashes in 2016 where restraint use was known were unrestrained at the time of the crash

Teens also have a greater chance of getting involved in an accident if other teens are present in the vehicle, according to research from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm.

Motor Vehicle Deaths Per 100,000 Persons By Age, 2016

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Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

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