Teen Driver Deaths Increase in 2011
Deaths among teem drivers increased for the first time in eight years last year, despite the fact that total motor vehicle deaths have declined.
According to a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 16- to 17-year-old driver deaths increased from 190 to 211 based on preliminary data supplied by all 50 states for the first six months of 2011. That’s an increase of 11-percent and if the trend continues for the second half of 2011, it will end eight straight years of declines within that age group.
16-year-old drivers’ deaths increased 16-percent from 80 to 93, while 17-year-olds went up 7-percent from 110 to 118. While some states reported increases and others reported decreases, and some even reported no change, Florida, California, and North Carolina had significant increases in teenage driving-related deaths.
Dr. Allan Williams, a researcher who formerly served as chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, believes some of the increase is a result of a leveling off from the benefits we experienced with the state Graduated Driver Licensing laws. He also speculated that with improving economic conditions, more teenagers are getting behind the wheel of cars.
Obviously this raises concerns and further educating teenager drivers could be a solution, but Williams agrees that more work could be done to save teenage lives. It will be interesting to see what the report says with the data accumulated from the last half of 2011.
[Source: GHSA.org]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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