WASHINGTON, D. C. (Thursday, October 18, 2018) –– Teen drivers put everyone on the roadway at risk of a deadly crash, especially if they are bringing teen passengers along for the ride. New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that when a teen driver has only teen passengers in their vehicle, the fatality rate for all people involved in a crash increased 51 percent. In contrast, when older passengers (35 or older) ride with a teen driver, overall fatality rates in crashes decreased eight percent.

Considering the increased risk created by a combination of teen drivers and teen passengers, AAA emphasizes the need for teen drivers to gain adequate supervised training, especially in different driving scenarios, before taking what could be a fatal drive. In 2016, teen drivers were involved in more than 1 million police-reported crashes resulting in more than 3,200 deaths. Researchers pinpointed that when teens were carrying teen passengers, fatality rates jumped:

• 56 percent for occupants of other vehicles.
• 45 percent for the teen driver.
• 17 percent for pedestrians and cyclists.  

“This analysis shows that in crashes where teen drivers are behind the wheel with a teen passenger, a larger portion of those killed are other road users,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “This study also found the fatality rate of a teen-driver related crash increased when factors like speeding or driving at night, were introduced.”

“This research illustrates the magnitude of parental engagement with their teen drivers and the importance of enforcing the District of Columbia’s Graduated Drivers Licensing law, which limits teen passengers for young drivers,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “These are lifesaving measures.”

Fatalities in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers By State (2016)

The Foundation’s analysis of District of Columbia crash data determined that in 2016, a crash with a teen driver resulted in the death of one occupant of another vehicle. In 2016, of the 489,831 licensed drivers in the District of Columbia, only 743 drivers (0.2%) were aged 19 and under, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.

In Maryland, the Foundation’s analysis of crash data determined that in 2016, eight teen drivers died (24.2%), but most (75.8%) of the fatalities involving teen drivers resulted in the death of someone other than the teen driver, including the deaths of nine teen passengers, 10 occupants of other vehicles and six pedestrians or cyclists. In 2016, of the 4,264,875 licensed drivers in Maryland, 130,949 drivers (3.1%) were aged 19 and under, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.

The Foundation’s analysis of Virginia crash data determined that in 2016, 38 teen drivers died (55.1%) and (44.9%) of the fatalities involving teen drivers resulted in the death of someone other than the teen driver, including the deaths of 13 teen passengers, 14 occupants of other vehicles and four pedestrians or cyclists. Virginia is one of the few states where the percentage of teen driver fatalities exceeds the percentage of fatalities of other teen passengers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. In 2016, of the 5,912,048 licensed drivers in Virginia, 206,274 drivers (3.5%) were aged 19 and under, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.

“Teens simply lack experience behind the wheel, which increases the odds of a deadly outcome, not just for the teen driver, but for their passengers and others on the roadways,” said Jennifer Ryan, director of AAA State Relations. “Parents of teens must take this rite of passage seriously by setting and consistently enforcing rules to limit teenage passengers in the vehicle.”

Supervised driving – with parents in the passenger seat as the coach - is the first step to teaching teens how to become responsible and safe drivers. AAA offers a multitude of resources at TeenDriving.AAA.com to help coach teen drivers, in addition to these tips:

• Require teens to log at least 100 hours of supervised practice driving with a parent before driving solo.
• Begin by practicing driving in low-risk situations and gradually move to situations that are more complex: highways, nighttime, driving in the rain, and on and around challenging roadways (e.g., curves).
• Allow no more than one non-family passenger under the age of 20 to ride with the teen driver during the first six months of driving.
• Use slightly different routes each practice session.
• Practice adjusting speed based on three factors: visibility, on-road traffic and different road conditions.

“Strong coaching and diversity in practice driving sessions are key when teens have their learners permit. And, once teens have their license, consistent parental involvement is essential,” Ryan said. Other AAA resources available for parents include the StartSmart Online Parent session to coach their teen through the learning-to-drive process and Teaching Your Teen to Drive, a one-hour live action DVD and illustrated in-car handbook that parents can use to support supervised driving lessons. These and other parent/teen resources are available on TeenDriving.AAA.com.

About AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: Established in 1947 by AAA, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a not-for-profit, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research and educational organization. The AAA Foundation’s mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur. This research is used to develop educational materials for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users. Visit www.AAAFoundation.org.

About the study: Data used in the Everyone’s at Risk 2018 brief came from the 2016 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the Crash Report Sampling Survey System (CRSS). The FARS database includes all motor vehicle crashes on public roadways that resulted in a fatality within 30 days of crash. The CRSS database is a nationally representative probability sample of all police-reported crashed in the United States.

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AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 57 million members nationwide and nearly 78,000 members in the District of Columbia.  AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years.  The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit  https://aaa.com