Facts + Statistics: Teen drivers

According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Teen Driver Fact Sheet, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s Young Drivers Traffic Safety Facts data shows that 2,116 drivers aged 15 to 20 died in traffic crashes in 2021, an increase of 11 percent from 1,899 in 2020. Young drivers, while only comprising 5 percent of all licensed drivers in 2021, accounted for 8.4 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHHS), graduated licensing systems in U.S. states and Canadian provinces have reduced crashes substantially. Two national studies by the IIHS and the Highway Loss Data Institute found that strong restrictions on nighttime driving and teenage passengers and delaying licensing age, reduce fatal crashes and insurance losses for teenage drivers. In addition, the studies found that delaying permit age reduces fatal crashes and increasing practice hours reduces insurance losses.

Fatalities in Crashes Involving Young Drivers, 2012-2021

 

Year Young drivers
age 15–20
Passengers of
young drivers
Occupants of
other vehicles
Nonoccupants Total
2012 1,880 1,060 1,230 502 4,672
2013 1,696 1,069 1,133 469 4,367
2014 1,723 1,015 1,093 454 4,285
2015 1,903 982 1,326 533 4,744
2016 1,916 1,033 1,348 598 4,895
2017 1,844 986 1,396 574 4,800
2018 1,729 919 1,318 562 4,528
2019 1,616 888 1,373 514 4,391
2020 1,899 1,090 1,489 591 5,069
2021 2,116 1,065 1,666 718 5,565

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Drivers In Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes By Age, 2021

  Licensed drivers Drivers in fatal
crashes
Age group Number Percent of
total drivers
Number Involvement
rate (1)
16 to 20 11,742,064 5.0% 5,088 43.33
21 to 24 14,201,880 6.2 5,513 38.82
25 to 34 40,654,543 17.6 13,200 32.47
35 to 44 39,543,173 16.6 10,291 26.02
45 to 54 37,443,726 16.7 8,764 23.41
55 to 64 39,612,716 17.4 8 20.41
65 to 74 31,032,722 12.7 4,768 15.36
Over 74 18,550,973 7.6 1,838 17.59
Total 232,761,797 100.0% 60,904 (2) 26.16

(1) Per 100,000 licensed drivers in each age group.
(2) Includes drivers under the age of 16 and of unknown age.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Federal Highway Administration.

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Percent Of Drivers Involved In Fatal Crashes Impaired By Alcohol By Age, 2012 And 2021 (1)

 

Age 2012 2021 Point change
15 to 20 17% 17% 0 pts.
21 to 24 32 27 -5
25 to 34 29 27 -2
35 to 44 24 23 -1
45 to 54 21 20 -1
55 to 64 13 16 3
65 to 74 8 12 4
Over 74 5 8 3

(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving in most states.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Background On: Teen drivers