Special Report: The Dangers of Teen Driving (page 5 of 5)

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN IRBY
More than 5,000 teenagers die in car accidents every year.
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SOURCE: NHTSA (2006)
DANGER AFTER DARK: Nearly half of teen crash deaths happen at night.
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SOURCE: IIHS
Crashes per million miles driven in 2006

16: A RISKY AGE
The crash rate for 16-year-olds is nearly double the rate for 19-year-olds.
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Which States Have the Toughest Laws?

In a first-ever analysis, we examined each state's graduated driver licensing, seat belt, and DUI laws and awarded points based on strictness. (Alaska gets more points in the seat belt category because anyone 16 and older who isn't buckled up can be fined; New Hampshire gets fewer points because it has no seat belt laws for 18- and 19-year olds.)

BEST
Alaska, California, Delaware, Washington, Illinois, Maine, Indiana, Oregon, Hawaii, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, District of Columbia

GOOD
New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Nebraska, Maryland, Oklahoma, Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Louisiana, Utah

FAIR
Massachusetts, Vermont, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Texas, West Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Nevada

WORST
New Hampshire, Kansas, Wyoming, South Carolina, Mississippi, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Montana, Arkansas

The Teen Death Toll
States with the toughest driving laws tend to have lower fatality rates, but other factors count too. Rural roads (with higher speed limits, less traffic, and fewer nearby medical services) are a big crash risk. The following is a list of the top 10 states in teen-driving fatalities per 100,000 kids over the past decade.

Mississippi 35.1, Wyoming 34.5, Montana 33.8, Alabama 33.5, Missouri 32.5, Arkansas 31.9, Tennessee 30.8, S. Dakota 30.8, Kentucky 30.6, Oklahoma 28.3
From Reader's Digest - August 2008
 
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my problem with tough teen driving laws is how come there are plenty of laws for "protecting teens" but few tought laws for adults? After all, I come from a small town in Oklahoma and I have rarely seen teens drive badly at our local Walmart but have seen plenty of moronic adults drive like maniancs and yet it seems like teens are the only bad drivers in the world. Also I have a big issue with the phrase "teens aren't automatically good drivers at age 16" because they also aren't bad either.

By dabomb62, on 04/20/2009
I lost my 16 year old daughter in a car accident in 2002. She had her license 3 months. She was speeding and not wearing her seatbelt. We were diligent parents, we wore our seatbelts, went the speed limits, talked about how important it was. We didn't know she didn't wear her seatbelt or drove fast when we weren't in the car. We couldn't be with her 24 hours a day. We need tougher laws for teen drivers. Losing a child is the worst, you never get over it. www.mylittlehoneybee.org

By slwendt, on 09/13/2008
I lost my 16 year old daughter in a car accident in 2002. She had her license 3 months. She was speeding and not wearing her seat belt. I was a diligent parent. We wore our seat belts, went the speed limits, talked about it. But I didn't see her out driving without me in the car to know that she liked to speed and not wear her seat belt. It is impossible for a parent to be with their child 24 hours a day. Because of that, we need tougher laws on teen driving. My heart will forever be broken.

By slwendt, on 09/13/2008
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