While teens often operate under the maxim, the more the merrier when they're driving around, the latest crash reports indicate that it may be the case of the more the deadlier.

According to a study in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the risk of fatal injury to a 16- or 17-year-old driver increases significantly with the number of passengers. In fact, when such a driver is carrying three or more passengers, the death rate is three times greater than if they have no one else in the car.

Nationwide, two out of three teens who die as passengers are in vehicles driven by other teen-agers.

Compared to drivers of the same age with no passengers, the relative risk of death per 10 million trips for 16-year-old drivers was 39 percent higher with one passenger, 86 percent higher with two passengers, and 282 percent higher with three passengers in the car.

In contrast, 30- to 59-year-old drivers who carried passengers had decreased death rates, according to the study.

Missouri teens are equally at risk when they carry passengers. According to state statistics, a higher proportion of young drivers carry one or more passengers when they are involved in fatal traffic crashes.

When examining all drivers involved in 1995–1997 Missouri fatal traffic crashes, about 43 percent had one or more passengers in the vehicle. However, when examining the 440 15–18 year-old drivers involved, nearly 60 percent were carrying a passenger. Clearly, young drivers incur substantial risk when traveling with one or more passengers.

Most passengers riding with young drivers involved in fatal crashes also are young people (peer group). The average age of passengers being driven by 15–18 year-old drivers was 17.6 years. The average age of passengers being driven by all drivers in these incidents was 27.2 years. The average age of all drivers themselves was 39.0 years.

What makes matters worse is young drivers who carry passengers commit more driver errors than all other drivers combined. Whether it’s because of the distraction of having other young people in the car or the added peer pressure to take risks while driving, teen-agers commit more violations with passengers in the car, violations that often lead to crashes.

Of the 175 young drivers not carrying passengers in fatal traffic crashes in 1995–1997 on Missouri roads, roughly 73 percent committed a driver error. But of the 265 young drivers carrying one or more passengers, more than 84 percent committed a driver error.

When all drivers in Missouri fatal traffic crashes were examined by these characteristics, the opposite result was found. All drivers carrying passengers had fewer driving violations than those who did not. Of the 2,227 drivers involved in fatal collisions who were not carrying passengers, nearly 70 percent committed a driver error. However, less than 64 percent of the 1,724 drivers who were carrying passengers and involved in a fatal traffic crash committed a driver error.

Young drivers involved in these incidents also carry a greater number of passengers. For all drivers having passengers, 1.72 were carried per driver. For those drivers 15–18 year-old having passengers, 1.8 passengers were carried per driver.

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