Fatal crashes and teen drivers

The Gainesville Sun reports that “an analysis of auto accidents covering a 10-year span shows teen drivers are more than twice as likely to kill someone other than themselves in a fatal crash.

The analysis was done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Researchers determined that when 15- to 17-year-olds are driving and get into fatal crashes, fewer than a third of the victims are the drivers themselves in Florida, but slightly more than a third are the victims nationwide.

In a news release about the study, AAA officials noted that, “nearly two-thirds of those killed are passengers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.”

AAA is lobbying states to: limit passengers to one person under age 20 for the first six months that a teen is licensed; prohibit driving between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. until age 18; and require at least 50 hours of certified driving practice over at least six months before a teen could qualify for a license.”