The school year is only days old and there is already the tragic story of three young people and one older driver dying in a car crash early last Thursday morning. The two-vehicle wreck occurred near Silver Lake and also critically injured another passenger.
The statistic from the National Safety Council is pretty startling. Half of all teens will be involved in a car crash before graduating from high school.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, the Centers for Disease Control reports. Fortunately, teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road.
In 2013, 2,163 teens in the United States ages 16–19 were killed and 243,243 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. That means that six teens ages 16–19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries.
Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14 percent of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30 percent ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28 percent ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females.
The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.
Why?
They are inexperienced behind the wheel, prone to distractions from friends riding with them and the use of cell phones for calls or texting. Distracted driving amongst teens is a much greater problem than previously thought. Research using teen crash videos has found that distraction was a factor in early 60 percent of teen crashes, including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes.
The most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver are interacting with passengers (15 percent) and using cell phones (12 percent). Previous research indicates that teen passengers and cell phones can increase the crash risk for teen drivers. On average, teen drivers using a cell phone took their eyes off of the road in the moments leading up to a crash.
Also, compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. In 2013, only 55 percent of high school students reported they always wear seat belts when riding with someone else.
At all blood alcohol levels, the risk of a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens. In a national survey conducted in 2013, 22 percent of teens reported that, within the previous month, they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking. Among students who drove, 10 percent reported having driven after drinking within the same one-month period.
There is a bright spot, the AAA notes. Researchers found that the number of people injured each year in crashes involving teen drivers declined by 51 percent and the number of people killed each year in teen driver crashes declined by 56 percent. Strong teen driver laws, as well as other factors, are reasons for the drop in overall crash rates for teen drivers.
Bottom line: Drivers ed only teaches so much.
Parents should educate their teen about the dangers of cell phone use while driving and restrict passengers during the learning-to-drive process. They must also become effective in-car coaches, set a positive example, make informed decisions about access to a vehicle and manage their teen’s overall driving privileges.
It is up to all of us.
Older drivers must also up our game when they are in school zones, and on the streets and highways. They must be vigilant and be aware young people are on the road.
Dale Hogg
