Why are Young Drivers at Risk?

Teens are at risk because they are more likely to:

• Drive aggressively
• Not wear seat belts
• Underestimate the dangers associated with hazardous driving situations

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the combination of inexperience behind the wheel and immaturity produces a pattern of fatal crashes particularly among 16-year-olds.

In fact, newly licensed 16-year-olds have the highest fatality rate of any age group of drivers. This age group also has the highest percentage of crashes involving speeding, the highest percentage of single-vehicle crashes, the highest percentage of crashes with driver error and the highest vehicle occupancy or number of passengers in the vehicle.