More teens die in car crashes than any other way, and distracted driving may be the cause

By Lulu Chang May 28, 2015

texting-driving — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It may be a Sweet Sixteen to the newly licensed driver, but to everyone else on the road, 16-year-olds aren’t so sweet after all. According to a new study released by the American Automobile Association (AAA), teenage drivers are not only endangering themselves with their driving habits, but putting other motorists at risk as well.

While it has long been the case that car crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 15 and 19, the AAA revealed that two-thirds, or nearly 70 percent, of those killed in these crashes are people other than the driver. Around 40 percent of the time, the victims are in another car or are pedestrians.

“Teen crash rates are higher than any other age group,” Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, told NBC News. “And this data confirms that the impact of their crashes extends well beyond the teen who is behind the wheel.”

In 2013, 988 teenage drivers were killed, but this does not account for the 3,000 total deaths that resulted from these accidents, nor the 400,000 associated injuries.

The problem, Kissinger says, is that “young teenage drivers don’t really identify risk the same way that a more mature driver would.” Other contributing factors include lack of experience and overzealousness behind the wheel, but perhaps the most problematic of all the factors at play is the issue of distracted driving.

Today’s teens are the generation that grew up with their smartphones practically attached to their palms, so it is no wonder that young drivers often believe they can multitask while in the car. As we reported earlier in the month, it’s not just texting — smartphone using drivers are also using Facebook, tweeting, and even video chatting while behind the wheel.

While it’s impossible to generalize bad driving habits among all teens, it is worth taking note of these statistics, particularly with the arrival of “The 100 Deadliest Days,” the time from Memorial to Labor Day when young drivers are out of school and out on the roads more frequently than before. So be safe, drivers, and be sure to pass on your safe driving habits to the newest inhabitants of the road.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Emerging Tech

In the future, hackers could cause traffic chaos by stalling self-driving cars

stalling self driving cars gridlock traffic manhattan

According to the experts, even a small number of self-driving cars on the road could solve some major traffic problems, due to their avoidance of the unnecessary stop-and-go driving that comes from human error. But a new study from researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology presents a pretty damning flip side to this effect.

Physicists at Georgia Tech say that future hackers could wreak havoc on cities by seizing control of a limited percentage of autonomous and internet-connected cars and causing them to stall. How big of a headache could this cause? According to the researcher’s modeling of the problem, randomly stalling 20% of cars during rush hour would mean a total traffic freeze in a place like Manhattan. Hacking just 10% of vehicles during the same time frame would be enough to prevent emergency vehicles from being able to expediently weave through traffic.

Cars

Tesla’s fix for faulty Cybertruck pedal is simpler than you might think

Tesla Cybertruck

Less than five months after handing over the first Cybertrucks to customers, Tesla has had to recall the electric pickup to fix an issue with the accelerator.

In a notice issued on Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the recall impacts Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024. This suggests that all -- or almost all -- of the 3,878 Cybertrucks being recalled are those that have been manufactured to date.

Cars

Ford Mustang Mach-E 2024 vs. Mach-E 2023: What’s new in Ford’s electric Mustang?

Blue Ford Mustang Mach-E on a rooftop

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is easily one of the best EVs for the price, offering a solid range, sleek design, and pretty good tech on the inside. In recent years, it has gotten even cheaper -- thanks in large part to a price war between it and the Tesla Model 3. And, the company just took the wraps off of the latest and greatest version of the Mach-E, labeled as the 2024 model.

The 2024 Mustang Mach-E is notably different from the 2023 iteration in some meaningful ways. So much so that we decided to take a look at the two head-to-head -- to see if it was better to pay for the 2024 model or save some cash on any remaining 2023 stock.
Design
The Mustang Mach-E looks relatively unique -- in a good way. And thankfully, Ford has largely kept the overall design the same for the 2024 model, at least when it comes to the more consumer-focused models. The car retains the slatted taillights and crossover size. It also offers a large selection of colors, including the very blue Grabber Blue Metallic, as well as Rapid Red Metallic. It's a good selection of colors, and there should be an option for most buyers.