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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           Youth Most At Risk for Motor Vehicle Crashes      

# Youth Most At Risk for Motor Vehicle Crashes

Based on the statistics it is clear that all youth are at risk for being involved in traffic-related crashes. Some factors such as age, experience, gender, and personality increase this risk.

## Age and Experience

Developmental research suggests that teen drivers do not always realize the consequences of their actions because areas of the brain responsible for making well-grounded decisions and judgments are not fully developed until about age 25 (Keating, 2007). Because of this immaturity, youth are more likely to take risks such as speeding, tailgating, driving while distracted, and driving without a seatbelt. This, coupled with a lack of driving experience, increases the likelihood that younger drivers will be involved in crashes and will be injured if they are in a crash.

In addition to the propensity to take risks, research has identified different visual scanning behaviors for new, young drivers compared to more experienced, older drivers. This may limit the ability of younger, novice drivers to detect high-risk situations (NHTSA, 2008b) and make it less likely that young drivers recognize and respond correctly to hazards and unexpected situations that might occur while driving (Shope & Bingham, 2008). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) (2009) suggests that, compared to older, more experienced drivers, even small emergencies are more likely to escalate when a youth is driving. Specifically,
                      - the crash rate per mile driven is nearly twice as high for 16-17 year-olds as it is for 18-19 year olds (IIHS, 2017), and
                      - according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teens are more likely to be involved in a crash during their first year of independent driving (2017).

## Gender

Both males and females are at risk for being involved in motor vehicle crashes, but the risk is substantially higher for male teen drivers. Specifically, in 2016, 66 percent of youth ages 13 to 19 killed in motor vehicle crashes (1,858 individuals) were male (IIHS, 2017). Boys are more likely to speed, drive after drinking (IIHS, 2017), and are less likely to wear a seatbelt than girls (NHTSA 2017).

## Personality

Research (Shope & Bingham, 2008) suggests that some personality factors are related to riskier driving behaviors for youth and an increased likelihood of being involved in a traffic incident or crash. These include youth who have
                      - a risk-taking propensity or sensation-seeking personality;
                      - a predisposition to hostility and aggression;
                      - a susceptibility to peer pressure;
                      - high levels of confidence and a sense of adventure; and
                      - a higher tolerance to deviance (i.e., they don’t consider deviant behavior wrong).

Further, certain behaviors that youth engage in have also been found to be associated with a predisposition to risky driving behavior and motor vehicle crashes. Youth who engage in antisocial behavior and report early access to and use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs are at a higher risk for involvement in motor vehicle crashes. In contrast, teens who receive better grades in school tend to engage in less risky behavior and have lower involvement in crashes (Shope & Bingham, 2008).

## References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, October 16). Teen Drivers: Get the Facts (Rep.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (2009). *Fatality facts: Teenagers 2008*. Arlington, VA: The Institute. Retrieved from http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2008/teenagers.html

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (2017). Fatality Facts: Teenagers (Rep.). Retrieved May 30, 2018, from http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/teenagers/fatalityfacts/teenagers

Keating, D. P. (2007). Understanding adolescent development: Implications for driving safety. *Journal of Safety Research, 38*(2), 147-157.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (n.d.). Risky Driving: Seat Belts. Retrieved May 30, 2018 from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2008b). *Motor vehicle occupant protection facts*. Washington, DC: NHTSA. Retrieved from http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/Traffic%20Injury%20Control/Articles/Associated%20Files/810654.pdf (PDF, 28 pages)

Shope, J. T., & Bingham, C. R. (2008). Teen driving: Motor-vehicle crashes and factors that contribute.*American Journal of Prevention Medicine, 35*(3S), S261-S271.

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
                          - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

### Announcements 

                          - Resource: Click It or Ticket Campaign Resources Now Available
                          - 4th of July Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign
                          - Dangers of Texting and Driving
                          - December Is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
                          - Motorcycle Safety Month
                          - National Teen Driver Safety Week
                          - Resource: 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results
                          - Resource: 2023 National School Bus Safety Week
                          - Resource: 2023 Speed Prevention Campaign: Speeding Wrecks Lives
                          - Resource: 2023 Winter Holiday Season National Enforcement Mobilization
                          - Resource: 420 Drug Impaired Driving Prevention
                          - Resource: Blackout Wednesday Impaired Driving Prevention Materials
                          - Resource: Distracted Driving
                          - Resource: Drive High Get a DUI
                          - Resource: Drowsy Driving
                          - Resource: Drug-Impaired Driving
                          - Resource: Drunk Driving
                          - Resource: Halloween Alcohol-Impaired Driving Materials
                          - Resource: Halloween Impaired Driving Prevention
                          - Resource: Holiday Season National Enforcement Mobilization
                          - Resource: National Enforcement Mobilization
                          - Resource: National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization
                          - Resource: National Teen Driver Safety Week Materials
                          - Resource: Pre-Holiday Season Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign
                          - Resource: Seat Belts
                          - Resource: Speeding
                          - Resource: St. Patrick’s 2023 Day Buzzed Driving Prevention  
                          - Resource: Super Bowl 2024 Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign
                          - Resource: Teen Driving
                          - Resource: Thanksgiving Impaired Driving Prevention
                          - Resource: Tips for Driving Safely During the Holiday Season
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign
                          - Teens, Young Adults Most Likely to Go to ER After Car Accidents: Report
                          - Toolkit: African-American Seat Belt Safety
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS)

### Data Sources 

                          - 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Results

### Departments 

                          - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

### Feature Articles 

                          - Illinois High School Addresses Teen Traffic Safety Through Service-Learning Approach
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - National Teen Driver Safety Week: 5 to Drive
                          - Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century
                          - Traffic Safety: Keeping Teens Safe behind the Wheel

### Publications 

                          - “Teens and Trucks” Curriculum: Promoting Teen Driver Safety
                          - Adolescents Living with a Parent Who Drives Under the Influence Are at Increased Risk for Driving Under the Influence Themselves
                          - Many New Teen Drivers “Crash” in Simulated Driving Task
                          - Stop Impaired Driving - Resources

### Resources 

                          - Beyond Looking Both Ways
                          - Driving Among High School Students — United States, 2013
                          - Impaired Driving Reports from NHTSA
                          - New State Fact Sheets on Drunk Driving and Restraint Use
                          - NHTSA 2016 Communications Calendar
                          - Report: Drivers Aged 16 or 17 Years Involved in Fatal Night Crashes
                          - Resource: 4th of July Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign
                          - Resource: Best Practices Guide for Tribal Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention
                          - Resource: Redesigned TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov
                          - Resource: Roadway to Safer Tribal Communities Toolkit
                          - Resource: Teen Drivers and Risky Behaviors
                          - Resource: Young Drivers in the Workplace: How Employers and Parents Can Keep Them Safe on the Road

### Technical Assistance 

                          - Underage Drinking Training Center

### Tools & Guides 

                          - “5 to Drive” Campaign
                          - 2015 National Distracted Driving Enforcement
                          - Community How-to Guides on Underage Drinking Prevention
                          - Problem-Oriented Guides for Police
                          - Protect the Ones You Love: Road Traffic Injuries
                          - Roadway to Safer Tribal Communities Toolkit
                          - SaferRide App Could Save Your Life

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - Dangers of Texting and Driving
                          - Faces of Distracted Driving
                          - Five Seconds of Texting While Driving
                          - Life's 3 Second Moments
                          - Manifesto Online
                          - U Drive. U Text. U Pay.
                          - Vehicle Theft Prevention

### Websites 

                          - About Safe Communities
                          - Distraction.gov
                          - Injury and Violence Prevention and Control
                          - Move Over. It's The Law. Protecting Law Enforcement Personnel on Our Nation’s Highways
                          - Parents Are the Key to Safe Teen Drivers
                          - Teen Drivers
                          - Vehicle Safety Resources

### Youth Topics 

                          - Driver Safety

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

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### Announcements

Resource: Super Bowl 2024 Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign

Resource: Tips for Driving Safely During the Holiday Season

Resource: Teen Driving

### Collaboration Profiles

National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS)

### Feature Articles

Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

Illinois High School Addresses Teen Traffic Safety Through Service-Learning Approach

### Publications

Many New Teen Drivers “Crash” in Simulated Driving Task

“Teens and Trucks” Curriculum: Promoting Teen Driver Safety

Stop Impaired Driving - Resources

### Resources

Resource: Young Drivers in the Workplace: How Employers and Parents Can Keep Them Safe on the Road

Resource: Roadway to Safer Tribal Communities Toolkit

Resource: Best Practices Guide for Tribal Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention

### Youth Topics

Driver Safety