Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds, causing roughly one-third of all deaths for this age group. Teenagers are overrepresented in traffic crashes both as drivers and as passengers. On the basis of miles driven, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. The high crash-involvement rate for this age group is caused primarily by their lack of maturity and driving experience coupled with their overconfidence and risk-taking behaviours. High-risk behaviours include failure to wear safety belts, speeding, and driving while impaired (by alcohol or other drugs), and drowsy or distracted driving. This age group is particularly susceptible to distractions caused by other passengers in the vehicle, electronic devices, and music. • A larger percentage of fatal crashes involving teenage drivers are single-vehicle crashes compared to those involving other drivers. In this type of fatal crash, the vehicle usually leaves the road and overturns or hits a roadside object such as a tree or pole. • In general, fewer teens wear their safety belts compared to other drivers. • A larger proportion of teen fatal crashes involve speeding, or going too fast for road conditions, compared to other drivers. • More teen fatal crashes occur when passengers, usually other teenagers, are in the car than do crashes involving other drivers. Two out of three teens who die as passengers are in vehicles driven by other teenagers. The National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) has been working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify strategies for counteracting these dangerous driving behaviours among teenage motorists and passengers. The purpose of this project is to support these efforts by identifying messages and communication strategies that are likely to affect teenage driving behaviours.
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