Young drivers accumulate a large proportion of their crash experience before they reach age 20. Driving is perhaps the biggest responsibility entrusted to teens, but the frightening statistics show many are not ready.

In 1999, approximately 706 of every 10,000 licensed Missouri drivers were involved in a traffic crash somewhere in the State. Yet for those licensed drivers from 15 through 18 years of age, 1,399 of every 10,000 were involved in a traffic crash during the same year, almost twice as many. Sadly, nearly one out of every five traffic crashes in the state throughout 1999 involved a young driver.

Fortunately, the number of collisions decreases significantly after drivers reach age 19, and continues dropping steadily. Perhaps through maturation, accumulated driving time, changes in driving purpose, or some combination of these factors, young motorists learn how to drive more safely.

As national statistics indicate, the more experience drivers have, the more their crash risk per mile decreases. Indeed, it drops rapidly after age 16. For all drivers, the highest fatality rates are found among teen-age motorists, who have 20 crashes per 1 million miles driven. Comparatively, all other age groups combined have only five crashes per million miles driven.

The threat of injury and death drops substantially as people get older. While 16-year-old motorists have 43 crashes per million miles driven, the number drops to 30 crashes for 17-year-olds and 16 wrecks for 18-year-olds for each million miles behind the wheel.

Mistakes are part of any learning process, including driving. Thus, novice drivers can be expected to make mistakes, regardless of their age. But mistakes made when they’re behind the wheel can be deadly, for themselves and others on the road.

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