LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death among teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported more than 2,500 people lost their lives in crashes involving a teen driver.

What You Need To Know

  • The fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16- and 17-year-olds is about three times the rate for drivers 20 and older

  • AAA reports that last year, Kentucky saw close to 20,000 crashes involving teen drivers under age 19

  • AAA encourages parents to practice driving with their teens

  • They say to start by practicing in low-risk situations and then move on to  highways, driving at night and different weather conditions

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teenagers drive fewer miles than most, but their numbers of crashes and crash deaths are disproportionately high. 

The fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16- and 17-year-olds is about three times the rate for drivers 20 and older.

AAA reports that last year, Kentucky saw close to 20,000 crashes involving teen drivers under age 19. Kentucky State Police reported 76 fatalities and almost 5,000 injuries, according to AAA.

AAA says that some factors for vehicle crashes involving teen drivers are driver error, speeding, not wearing a seat belt and driving with passengers.

“For more experienced drivers, those 30 and up, having passengers in a vehicle can in a lot of instances actually decrease the number of crashes that occur with those drivers, but the opposite is true when it’s a teen driver,” said AAA Blue Grass Manager for Public & Government Affairs Lori Weaver Hawkins.

Statistics show driving at night is also dangerous for teen drivers. According to IIHS, the fatal crash rate for teen drivers is about four times higher at night compared to the day.

“Set boundaries on the amount on the amount of hours they are allowed to drive after dark. All of these things are important in helping your teen driver stay safe on the roadway and also enables other road users to stay safe,” said Weaver Hawkins. 

AAA encourages parents to practice driving with their teens.

They say to start by practicing in low-risk situations and then move on to highways, driving at night and different weather conditions.

Before a teen driver can become fully licensed, their parent or guardian must document and sign a practice driving log and verification form showing that the driver has completed at least 60 hours of practice driving, 10 of which must occur at night.

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