General

Youth Traffic Safety Statistics - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Nationally in 2006, 4,842 teen passenger vehicle occupants, ages 16 to 20, were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and 58 percent (2,813) were unrestrained at the time of the fatal crash.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teenage drivers and passengers are among those least likely to wear their safety belts.

While all teens are at a high-risk of experiencing a fatal crash, according to NHTSA, young males, pickup truck drivers and passengers, as well as people living in rural areas are also among those least likely to buckle up.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. and account for one in three deaths in this age group. In 2009, eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. CDC Fact Sheet

Florida Statistics

2010 Florida Traffic Crash Facts · Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for teens 16-19 years of age. While teens make up only 5% of the driving population in Florida but they are involved in 9 % of the fatal crashes.

Florida drivers in the age group of 15-19 years of age had the highest rate per 10,000 licensed drivers of crash invovlement (363.97) and the second highest rate of fatal crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers at 2.94. Florida crash data reveals:

Safety Belts

For front-seat passengers, lap and shoulder belts reduce the chance of serious injury by as much as 50 percent.

In fatal crashes, only one percent of belted occupants are ejected from their vehicle; 22 percent of unbelted occupants are ejected and 75 percent of them are killed.

Average hospital costs for unbelted crash victims are 55 percent higher than for belted victims according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Impaired Driving

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young people between ages 15 and 24.

Alcohol is involved in about one-third of fatal crashes involving 16-19-year-old-drivers.

Even a small amount of alcohol causes impairment. Studies show that impairment can begin with the first sip and worsen with continued drinking. Young drivers are about 1.5 times more likely to have a fatal crash after having one or two drinks and about three times more likely after three drinks.

Seventy-seven percent of fatal crashes involving alcohol occur at night.

Drugged Driving

Marijuana affects alertness, concentration, coordination and reaction time, all skills required for safe driving.

These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana.

Distracted Driving

One in every six crashes is caused by a distracted driver.

Drowsy Driving

Sleep-related crashes are most common in young people. One North Carolina state study found that 55 percent of fall-asleep crashes involved people 25-years-old or younger.

Sleepy drivers cause approximately 100,000 crashes every year in the U.S.

Speeding

The chance of death or serious injury doubles for every ten miles per hour over 50 mph that a vehicle travels.

Red Light/Stop Sign Running

One in three Americans knows someone who has been injured or killed in a red light-running crash.