A study released by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program finds that young drivers continue to die at higher rates than any other age group. The report lists five key facts and contributing factors.
Deadliest Time: Among 16 year old drivers, the risk of a fatal crash is about three times higher after 9 p.m. than during daytime.
Alcohol Factor: Alcohol involved crashes increase from low rates among 16 year olds to a peak for drivers aged 20 to 24.
Lack of Supervision: Drivers 18 and older are more likely to live outside the family home. This results in them driving more and having fewer protective constraints on their time and driving.
Risk Factor: While 15 to 20 year olds represented 8.4 percent of the U.S. population and 6.3 percent of licensed drivers, they accounted for 13.6 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes.
Passenger Risk: Young drivers especially 16 and 17 year olds are responsible for a larger number of passenger injuries and fatalities per crash than more experienced drivers. More than half of all fatalities occur when there is no adult is in the vehicle.
The number of collisions in Indiana involving young drivers generally decreased from 2005 to 2009, though the percent of collisions involving a young driver increased slightly from 22.6 percent in 2008 to 23.1 percent in 2009. A total of 48,017 young drivers were involved in collisions in Indiana in 2009, 5.7 percent fewer than in 2008. Young driver fatalities decreased 36 percent in 2009 (from 75 to 48) with 1 in every 1,000 young drivers involved in collisions suffering a fatal injury.
Lieutenant Clint Bundy, District Commander of the Indianapolis State Police Post, stated "Know where your young drivers are going, who their passengers are and when they will be home." He went on to state "Make sure they carry their fully charged cell phones for emergencies and above all make sure they BUCKLE UP. All drivers, especially teen drivers, need to be aware of cell phone restrictions and drivers of all ages should refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices while driving."
More statistics on Indiana drivers may be found at the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute web site at www.in.gov/cji.
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