Teen Driver Death Risk Increases with Multiple Young Vehicle Passengers
15 Mar 2013Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths — even more so with multiple passengers in the car. A recent study, conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found some startling statistics in this regard.
The study revealed that 16 and 17 year old drivers with a passenger under 21 in their vehicle are 44 percent more likely to get into a fatal accident. Two or more passengers under 21 doubles the risk. The numbers quadruple with three or more passengers under 21 in the vehicle.
On the other end of the spectrum, teens who have at least one passenger in the car age 35 or older, have a 62% less chance of getting into a fatal accident.
The study was conducted using data from crashes when a 16 or 17 year old driver had passengers in their vehicle. It was already known that any passenger increases the risk of an accident, and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety wanted to get updated results about the impact of their ages. The numbers collected revealed that the younger the passengers were, the higher risk there was to the driver and everyone in the vehicle.
Although there has been some progress made recently in regards to teen drivers being more cautious, it didn’t change the fact that there is more of a risk with young passengers in the vehicle.
A previous study revealed that most teen drivers admit to just narrowly avoiding an accident.
“We know that carrying young passengers is a huge risk, but it’s also a preventable one,” said AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President and CEO Peter Kissinger. “These findings should send a clear message to families that parents can make their teens safer immediately by refusing to allow them to get in the car with other young people, whether they’re behind the wheel or in the passenger seat.”
Preventing Teen Driving Accidents
GPS tracking devices are recommended in the vehicle of teen drivers for more than tracking their location. Teens who know they are being tracked will be more likely to drive safely. GPS teen tracking can also be utilized by parents to track and monitor the teen’s driving behaviors, including how fast they drive, where they drive to, even specifics such as their acceleration speed and alerting parents of unsafe driving practices. GPS tracking devices can also be programmed to alert the parent when the teen goes out of a certain mile radius, is driving unsafely, or driving too late at night. Aside from GPS tracking, parents and other adults are encouraged to ride with the teen and further decrease their risk of a fatal accident.
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