AASHTO Journal, 1 March 2013
More teenage drivers died in the first six months of 2012 than in the same period the previous year, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. But while the uptick in teen driver fatalities is alarming, it is out of sync with the general trend that shows an overall decrease in teen driver deaths.
“We are still at a much better place than we were ten or even five years earlier,” said Dr. Allen Williams, the report’s author, in a statement. “However, the goal is to strive toward zero deaths, so our aim would be that these deaths should go down every year.”
According to the report, 240 fatalities of 16 and 17-year-old drivers were reported in the first half of 2012, up from 202 in the first six months of 2011. The increase was higher for 16-year-olds (from 86 in 2011 to 107 in 2012, or a 24 percent increase) than 17-year-olds (from 116 in 2011 to 133 in 2012, or a 15 percent increase).
There are several factors that could have contributed to the rise in teen driver fatalities in the preliminary 2012 data, Williams said, including the improving economy (as teens are more affected by economic downturns in their ability to drive, so an improved economy means more drivers). Another factor could be that the benefit of graduated driver licensing could be leveling off, Williams said.
GHSA chair and Director of the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office Kendall Poole said that there is clearly more work to be done.
“Any increase in highway deaths is unacceptable, particularly among our teens. We know from research and experience that teen drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but also a danger to others on the roadways,” said Poole.
The full 14-page report is available here.