This report highlights the prevalence of speeding in fatal crashes involving teens and offers practical tips to help parents.
This report from GHSA and Ford Motor Company Fund found that from 2015 to 2019, teen drivers and passengers (16-19 years of age) had a greater proportion of speeding-related fatalities (43%) than all other age groups (30%). During this five-year period, 4,930 teen drivers and passengers died in speeding-related crashes. Teens and Speeding: Breaking the Deadly Cycle also sheds light on what we know about speeding-related fatal crashes involving teens – the driver is more likely to be male, have run off the road or rolled the vehicle and be unbuckled. The data analysis was conducted by Richard Retting of Sam Schwartz Consulting.
This new analysis of teen driving deaths is especially timely. Crashes have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and speeding on less-crowded than normal roadways is cited by states as a major factor in the surge in motor vehicle deaths. Parents may also have less time to spend training their teen drivers given other priorities during the pandemic.
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