According to the CDC, Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. In 2007, eleven teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. In 2007, more than 4,200 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and almost 400,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes. The risk of vehicle crashes is greater for ages 16-19 and weighs more heavily on male drivers, which is more than one and half times than that of females. It comes as no surprise that the risk is particularly high in teens with newly acquired licenses.
Many factors contribute to the cause of teen vehicular accidents. One may be of inexperience, another is immaturity. Teen drivers tend to be more aggressive and are more likely to speed. Most of the teenagers involved in accidents are driving under influence, may it be alcohol and or drugs. In fact, the NHTSA statistics on drunken driving shows that about 28% of teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes were drinking either before or while they were driving. Most drivers forget to use their seat belts after consuming alcohol. Around 64% of teenagers who were involved in fatal drunk driving crashes were reportedly not wearing their seat belts.
An enormous amount of effort has been made to minimize teen accidents. There are sobriety checkpoints and legislations like zero tolerance laws. There are organizations such as Students Against Drunk Driving and Mothers Against Drunk Driving who actively spread the awareness about the hazards of drinking while driving. Although these efforts decreased the number of casualties, the latest statistics are still a cause of alarm. Parents should be aware of this and discipline should start from their homes.
BM