Young Driver Risk Reduction Course

Why should recently licensed young drivers want to improve their driving skills?

• Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for persons aged 15 to 20.  Motor vehicle crashes account for roughly one-third of all fatalities in this age group.

• People age 16 to 20 have the highest traffic-related fatality rate of any age group.

• Approximately 122 youths ages 15-20 years old die each week in traffic crashes.

• People age 16 to 20 make up only 7 percent of American drivers and drive only 3 percent of all miles driven. Yet they are involved in 14 percent of traffic deaths.

• Traffic crashes are the leading cause of disability and spinal cord injury among youth.

• A 16-year-old driver is 20 times as likely to have a traffic crash as the general population.

• A 16 year old with three or more passengers faces nearly three times the risk of a fatal wreck as driving alone.

• Young drivers are much more likely to engage in dangerous activities-- drinking or using drugs, speeding, swerving, running red lights -- when in the presence of their peers.  The risk of a crash involving a teen driver increases with each additional teen passenger in the vehicle.

• Approximately 24 percent of fatally injured drivers aged 15-20 were intoxicated (blood alcohol concentration (BAC) greater than 0.08%.

• Mastering driving skills in gaining experience in traffic situations requires all the concentration a newly licensed driver can marshal.  Research indicates that the cognitive effects of engaging in a conversation on a cell phone (hand-held or hands-free) can decrease driver awareness and increase driver reaction time.

      One study found it takes as many as 30,000 miles or as long as 7 years to mature as a driver. In other words, the odds are not in favor of young drivers, and in particular those who may not have received any type of formal driver training.