Want the good news or the bad news first? The bad news? "In 2020 there were 1,885 young drivers who died in traffic crashes, a 17-percent increase from 1,616 in 2019."

The Good News

Photo by leah hetteberg on Unsplash - Click for link
Photo by leah hetteberg on Unsplash - Click for link
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According to Zutobi.com, Minnesota has the least teenage driving fatalities in the country, with 9.52 deaths per 100,000 teenage drivers. Of course, even as the state with the least, it's still a lot of teenagers dying needlessly.

What Is Causing These Deaths?

A mans hands in handcuffs behind his back
petdcat
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This information will likely not surprise you, but the three main factors putting teens at risk are drinking booze, speeding, and distracted driving. These are some things that adults do, too. And all three are super easy to avoid.

  • Don't drink and drive.
  • Don't speed.
  • Pay attention to your driving.

Fast Stats About Our Kids Dying Needlessly Behind the Wheel

Information from the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA)

  • In 2020 there were 1,885 young drivers who died in traffic crashes, a 17-percent increase from 1,616 in 2019.
  • The number of licensed young drivers decreased by 4.7 percent from 2019 to 2020.
  • In 2020 there were an estimated 189,950 young drivers injured in traffic crashes, a decrease of 7 percent from 204,862 in 2019.
NHTSA
NHTSA
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  • Young drivers accounted for 8.5 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2020. However, young drivers were only 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers in 2020.
  • Young drivers involved in police-reported crashes decreased by 20 percent from 1,378,604 in 2019 to 1,105,471 in 2020. However, young drivers involved in fatal crashes increased by 14 percent from 3,999 in 2019 to 4,561 in 2020.
  • The rate of drivers involved in fatal crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers for young female drivers was 21.54 in 2020. For young male drivers in 2020, the involvement rate was 56.59, more than twice that of young female drivers.
NHTSA
NHTSA
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  • Of the young drivers killed with known restraint use, 52 percent were unrestrained at the time of the crashes in 2020, which is similar to the percentage of all drivers of passenger vehicles killed (51%).
  • Although people under 21 are legally prohibited from drinking alcohol, 29 percent of young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes in 2020 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .01 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher; 82 percent of those young drivers who had alcohol in their systems also had BACs of .08 g/dL or higher.
  • In 2020 there were 219 motorcycle riders 15 to 20 years old killed in crashes, and an additional estimated 6,472 in that age group were injured.

Please, talk to your kids. Make sure they know the stats. Make sure they hear you say how important it is to you they're careful.

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Yes, driving can be dangerous, it can also be made a LOT safer by simply slowing down, paying attention, and not drinking before you drive. The payoff? Roadtrips!

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As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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