What Is The Riskiest Driving Age

by Jim on November 02, 2022

Reckless drivers can be male or female, and teenagers of either gender are most likely to be the cause of severe road crashes, especially those who only recently obtained their licenses.

According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, inexperienced teen drivers are the riskiest category of drivers, more so with the likelihood of substance abuse.

Young drivers aged between 16 to 19 tend to engage in unsafe driving behavior, neglect traffic signs, and drive under the influence, all of which are the most common causes of fatal accidents. Reports from the Center For Disease Control and Prevention also suggest that young male drivers are three times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than female teenage drivers.

Which Age Category Is Most Likely To Be Involved In Road Accidents

A study carried out by the AAA Foundation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on safe driving behavior shows that young millennials are more likely than any age group to be involved in motor vehicle crashes and have the highest motor vehicle death rate.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration surveyed the youngest and oldest drivers to determine their driving experience and which has the highest fatal crash death rates.

Below are the results from the conducted survey:

It was ascertained that young drivers aged 19 to 39 aren’t the safest drivers and are more inclined to take risks while driving. A large percentage of millennials in their early 20 have shown little concern for traffic regulations, which is why it’s not surprising to see that they account for a significant percentage of road accidents.

What’s surprising is that some people who drive recklessly believe that their behavior is acceptable so long as others are doing the same thing. Although millennials don’t drive as carefully as seniors, that’s not to say that they don’t occasionally violate traffic laws.

Statistics On Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths Involving The Different Age Groups

In the year 2017, records from the CDC road traffic safety official website showed that at least 2,364 teen drivers lost their lives in fatal crashes, while there were over 300,000 injured. The statistics also showed that six teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 die in car crashes daily in the United States.

Teenage drivers are two times more likely to engage in bad driving behavior than older drivers and have slower reaction times, putting them at an increased risk of being involved in car accidents.

Auto crash reports on male drivers aged 16 to 19 show that this age group has a higher fatality rate than female drivers in the same age group. Newly licensed teenagers have a relatively higher crash rate than middle-aged drivers and seniors. The crash risk is twice as high when teenage drivers have two or more of their peers riding with them.

Risk Factors For Millennials And Young Drivers That Result In Motor Vehicle Crashes

Below are some of the significant factors influencing young drivers:

1. Night Time Driving

Driving statistics in the year 2017 show that 51% of fatal road accidents involving teen drivers and millennials occurred between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am. This goes to show how much road.

2. Impaired Driving

Some young drivers see nothing wrong with driving intoxicated or under the influence of marijuana and other illicit substances so long as they aren’t caught by law enforcement officials. Some teenage drivers are also fond of taking chances and unnecessary risks while driving, like racing other vehicles and actively conversing with their passengers.

3. Speeding

Unlike older and more experienced drivers, unsupervised teen drivers are often thrill seekers. Drivers of this age category are the worst drivers as they’re most likely to drive above the posted speed limit without wearing their seat belts and engage in other unsafe behaviors that are the leading cause of injury crashes and traffic fatalities.

4. Distracted Driving

Young drivers between the ages of 16 to 18 are often fond of texting or listening to electronic devices while driving, which is hazardous behavior.

5. Inexperience

Teenage drivers often fail to recognize dangerous driving situations and often make more critical decision errors than other age groups. While some might, they are however more likely to underestimate dire road situations than older drivers, which can lead to critical life-threatening errors.

How To Keep Teen Drivers Safe And Help Them Avoid Fatal Crashes

We encourage parents to use the following tips to foster safe driving behavior with their new drivers, especially if they are high school students.

1. Be A Good Role Model

Young adults tend to behave similarly to their parents, so it’s imperative to exhibit good driving behavior and teach seat belt use when riding with teen passengers. Some ways to instill good driving behavior in your teen include wearing your seat belt at all times, adhering to speed limits and traffic signs, and, most importantly, never texting or making calls while driving.

Any driver who has spent enough time on the road must have had their fair share of close calls. Stories of how your car was almost sent tumbling because you were too busy texting while driving can help discourage your teen from doing the same thing or perhaps something even worse.

3. Talk with your teen

As a parent, you must talk with your young driver about the dangers of distracted driving to keep them from being involved in motor vehicle crashes. While there’s no guarantee that they’ll do as they’re told when they drive themselves, it’s best to teach your kids what’s not acceptable while driving instead of letting them find out for themselves.

4. Limit Passengers

Many states in America have vehicle occupancy limits for drivers with learner’s permits or provisional licenses. These restrictions are generally set to minimize the risk of distractions and ultimately reduce the rate of road accidents.

5. Zero tolerance on driving impaired or texting while driving

Your duty as a parent is to warn your teenage driver of the risks of texting, making phone calls, and driving under the influence. Also, teach them to recognize dangerous situations and ensure strict consequences if you ever find them engaging in any of the above dangerous driving behaviors.

Final Words

According to the AAA Foundation and National Highway Safety Institute, inexperienced drivers between the ages of 16 to 25 are the most dangerous drivers on American roads. Drivers in this age category are most likely to underestimate their shortcomings and take unnecessary risks behind the wheel than any other age group.