In 2011, 1,987 young (15- to 20-year-old) drivers died in motor vehicle crashes, an increase of 1 percent from 1,965 in 2010. Additionally 180,000 young drivers were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2011, a decrease of 4 percent from 187,000 in 2010. The two-year comparison of total driver involvement in fatal crashes showed a 2-percent reduction from 44,599 in 2010 to 43,668 in 2011. During this same period, young driver involvement decreased 6 percent from 4,603 in 2010 to 4,347 in 2011. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all 15- to 20-year-olds, according to the most recent data available (2009) from the National Center for Health Statistics. There were 211.9 million licensed drivers in the United States in 2011. Young drivers accounted for 6 percent (12.6 million) of the total, a .8-percent increase from the 12.5 million young drivers in 2002. Population for this age group increased from 2002 to 2011 — by 5.9 percent. (Author/publisher)
Abstract