Key points
- Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens in the U.S.
- Several factors, like inexperience, can put teens at risk.
- Proven strategies can improve the safety of teen drivers on the road.
Fast facts
About 2,800 teens in the U.S. ages 13-19 were killed12 and about 227,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020.1
The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16-19 than among any other age group. Teen drivers in this age group have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older per mile driven.2
Parent-Teen Driving Agreement
A Parent-Teen Driving Agreement can help you get on the same page about your family's rules of the road.
Keep reading: Parent-Teen Driving Agreement
Resources
CDC resources
- CDC’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) System Planning Guide is designed to assist states to assess, develop, and implement actionable plans to strengthen GDL practices.
- CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): Motor Vehicle Safety for Young Drivers at Work
- Visit Teen Driver Resources for featured articles and publications.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). WISQARS — Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2022.
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality Facts 2020: Teenagers. Arlington, VA: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute; May 2022.