In 2010, 1,963 young (15- to 20-year-old) drivers died in motor vehicle crashes, a decrease of 16 percent from 2,343 in 2009. Additionally 187,000 young drivers were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2010, a decrease of 5 percent from 196,000 in 2009. The two-year comparison of total driver involvement in fatal crashes showed a 2-percent reduction from 45,337 in 2009 to 44,440 in 2010. During this same period, young driver involvement decreased 11 percent from 5,170 in 2009 to 4,585 in 2010. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all 15- to 20-year-olds, according to the most recent data available (2007) from the National Center for Health Statistics. There were 210. million licensed drivers in the United States in 2010. Young drivers accounted for 6.4 percent (13 million) of the total, a 3.1-percent increase from the 12.6 million young drivers in 2001. Population for this age group also increased during this same time period — by 7.7 percent. (Author/publisher)
Abstract