In an uplifting shift, crash and fatality rates involving young drivers under 21 have seen a marked decrease in the United States over the last two decades. However, despite this positive change, this age group still poses the highest risk on roads.
Drawing from statistical data collected between the years 2002 to 2021, a non-profit consortium of state highway safety offices released a report, detailing a 38% decrease in fatal crashes involving young drivers. Even more significantly, deaths among these same young drivers were down by about 45%. In stark contrast, for those over the age of 21, fatal crashes and deaths saw a rise of 8% and 11% respectively.
The authors of the report, prepared by the Governors Highway Safety Association, noted several factors contributing to this downward trend. They conceded that young people are driving less now than two decades ago, but pointed towards graduated driver’s license laws, which progressively grant driving privileges to teens, as another major factor.
These laws often impose certain restrictions, like a ban on night driving or being accompanied by peers. The report advocated for enhancing these programs and suggested broadening them to include 18 to 20-year-olds, much like the policies already in place in states like Maryland and New Jersey.
The report further recommended increased involvement from adults and parents in their children’s driving education, additional peer-to-peer learning initiatives, and making driving education universally accessible.
“Young drivers pose the most significant risk on the roadways due to their immaturity and lack of driving experience,” observed Pam Shadel Fischer, the report’s author. “A large number of them lack the hands-on experience necessary to recognise risk and react appropriately to prevent an accident.”
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission further backed up the report’s findings, showing that overall traffic-related fatalities were down 3.3% in the first half of the year in comparison to the same period in the previous year. Following an initial surge during the pandemic, there has been a consistent drop for five consecutive quarters.
Despite this, 2022 saw a staggering 42,795 deaths on U.S. roads, a figure that prompted government authorities to label it a national crisis.
The GHSA study concluded by stating that barring three states and the District of Columbia, young driver crash fatalities showed improvement across the country over the course of the past two decades.
