NHTSA Survey, Teen Crash Car Crash Statistics

According to NHTSA, drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 represent 6.4 percent of licensed drivers in the United States, yet were involved in 13.6 percent of fatal crashes and 18 percent of all police-reported crashes in 2003. In that same year, 15- to 20-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes numbered 7,884.3 Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds, accounting for two out of every five teenage deaths. In 2002, the estimated economic cost of crashes involving 15- to 20-year-old drivers was $40.8 billion. Further, a study of crashes in four States revealed that 16-year-olds account for the highest percentage of single-vehicle crashes and crashes involving speeding and driver error. Because fatalities in car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers and teenage drivers are disproportionately involved in crashes, additional action needs to be taken to identify and implement solutions to reduce these fatalities.