According the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teen driving deaths have decreased 56 percent over the last two decades.
This is good news for both young drivers and of course their parents. The reason for this significant decline in fatalities is multifaceted. Seat-belt usage is up, graduated driver’s license programs have gained in popularity and higher fuel costs have limited travel. Of course the wider availability of safer vehicles probably has something to do with these figures as well.
But all of this needs to be taken in stride. Teens are still more likely to be involved in a crash than any other group of drivers. And regrettably more than 50 percent of individuals killed in accidents with teen motorists are not the teens themselves.
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AAA reports that 30 percent of these fatalities are individuals in other vehicles and 27 percent were passengers in the teen’s car or truck. Additionally, roughly 10 percent were pedestrians or bicyclists. Fewer teen drivers are dying
If you’ve got a teen that’s ready to hit the road be warned. Summer is the deadliest time for them. The three months following Memorial Day are the most dangerous for these young motorists. Fatalities increase by 43 percent since many of them are out of school and have more leisure time.
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Fewer Teens Dying Behind the Wheel
