Fewer Teens Dying Behind the Wheel: Report
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
Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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This is heartening news, and can be made even better with 5MPH higher speed limits across the board. Not kidding. The chance of an accident is also a function of time spent behind the wheel. Decreasing driving time decreases likelihood of an accident.