Accident and fatality rates among young drivers have fallen dramatically in the United States over the past 20 years, a new report says, though young drivers remain the most at-risk group behind the wheel.
Released Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the report has good news to share: An analysis of data from 2002 to 2021 shows that the number of fatal crashes involving young drivers fell by 38 percent, while deaths dropped even more, by about 45 percent.
Despite the significant drop in crash and fatality rates for young drivers, those under the age of 21 are still nearly four times more likely to be involved in a fatal traffic crash than their older counterparts.
There was some bad news as well, however. Drivers 21 and older saw an increase in fatal crashes of 7.5 percent, while older-driver deaths went up by 11 percent.
The report also includes a state-by-state analysis, which shows that changes in the crash and fatality rates for young drivers vary substantially. The young driver crash fatality rate improved in all but three states and districts, with the rate almost tripling in the District of Columbia (from 6.1 to 17.2 per 10,000 drivers) and increasing to a lesser extent in Montana (by 14 percent) and Mississippi (by 0.8 percent).
“Young drivers are the riskiest age group on the road, and the reasons are straightforward—immaturity and inexperience,” said Pam Shadel Fischer, author of the GHSA report. “Many young drivers simply don’t have the behind-the-wheel experience to recognize risk and take the appropriate corrective action to prevent a crash.”
The report further acknowledged that there is also a physiological factor at play. “The human brain isn’t fully developed until the early to mid-twenties, particularly the prefrontal cortex where impulse inhibition, decision making, and judgement are centered.
“As a result, young drivers are less likely than their older counterparts to recognize risk. In fact, some teens may even seek it.”
The GHSA report acknowledges that young people are driving less than they were 20 years ago, and highlights several other reasons for the improvement—including more modern vehicles with improved driver safety support features, stability control, and crash protection systems.
A further significant reason is the Driving Skills for Life program—the partnership the GHSA launched with the Ford Motor Company Fund in 2002.
According to the GHSA, more than a million teens in the United States and abroad have participated in the free, behind-the-wheel training program that is designed to introduce young drivers to critical driving skills, such as how to recognize hazards and take corrective action.
The GHSA identified the Graduated Driver Licensing system for drivers under 18 as the main contributing factor to the significant decline in lives lost.
These programs have three steps: a supervised learning period, a period where the novice is allowed to drive unsupervised but with restrictions (such as driving at night or with other teens), and, finally, a license with all privileges.
To further reduce traffic accidents, the GHSA recommends strengthening these programs and even expanding them. Except for Maryland and New Jersey, the policy currently applies only to novice drivers under the age of 18.
Other recommendations include bolstering adult and parent participation in their child’s driving education, more peer-to-peer education programs, and further implementation of driver assistance technology and apps.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission, overall traffic fatalities dropped 3.3 percent in the first half of 2023 compared with the same period last year, and have now fallen for five straight quarters after a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
