Automobile accidents are the main cause of death for US teenagers. New vehicle technologies and driver assistance are promising to reduce accidents and severities of injury. Nationwide Children’s Hospital researchers reviewed national fatal accident data (2016-2021) and examined the age of the vehicle and driver assistance technologies driven by adolescent and middle-aged drivers, and their associations with driver deaths during fatal accidents.
In a study published today in Open Jama NetworkThe researchers found that driving vehicles from 6 to 15 years old had a 19% higher risk of the driver in fatal accidents, and driving vehicles over 15 years of age had a 31% higher risk, both compared to driving vehicles of 5 years or newer, regardless of driver’s age. In addition, each driver’s assistance technology already present in vehicles was associated with a 6% reduction in the risk of death of the driver in fatal accidents.
“Because each family wants their teenage son to reach anywhere safely, the deaths of teenage drivers are a serious public health concern,” said Jingzhen Ginger Yang, PHD, MPH, main author of the study and principal researcher at the Center for Investigation of Lesions and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute in Nationwide Children’s. “Given the high shock rates of adolescent drivers compared to other age groups and their growing participation in fatal accidents, it is crucial that adolescent drivers operate the safest vehicles available.”
The study found that adolescent drivers (15-18 years old) were more likely than medium-sized drivers (31-55 years) to drive vehicles over 15 years and vehicles with less driver assistance technologies at the time of fatal accidents. Older vehicles and vehicles with less driver assistance technologies were associated with a higher risk of death for drivers involved in fatal accidents, regardless of driver’s age.
“Our findings, together with those of other studies, underline the importance of safe vehicle strategies, education for families and guarantee that adolescents drive safer cars whenever possible,” said Fangda Zhang, PHD, scientist of research at the Research and Policy Center for Nationwide Children’s and Co-Lider of the study. “Parents commonly pass their old vehicles to their teenagers who are still learning basic driving skills. Although it is an exciting milestone for families with new drivers, this practice increases the vulnerability of adolescents to the malfunction of the vehicle, which makes their driving less safe.”
Because parents and caregivers often control vehicles that lead their adolescents, their choices significantly affect the security of the driving of their adolescents and other road users. Families that prioritize security characteristics should be advised when choosing the first car for adolescents, ensuring that it is newer and safest, given the greatest participation of adolescent drivers in car accidents and deaths related to motor vehicle accidents.
According to study findings, the authors of the study propose several recommendations:
- Vehicle safety: Teenagers must drive the safest vehicles available.
- Pediatricians and other medical care providers must advise parents to prioritize security characteristics when choosing the first car for their adolescence and avoid vehicles over 15 years, especially during the initial driving months without supervision, which is the highest risk period for adolescent drivers.
- Parents can consult the Institute of Insurance for Road Safety (IIHS) to obtain a list of affordable and insurance for adolescents. If a newer vehicle is not an option, more frequent maintenance should be encouraged to improve vehicle safety.
- Newer technologies: Pediatricians and other medical care providers should educate families about the benefits of newer vehicle technologies, such as accident avoidance characteristics, lane assistance technology and specific technologies for adolescents, which can significantly reduce accidents and related injuries. Families must choose vehicles with more driver assistance technologies for adolescents whenever possible.
- Safe driving habits: Pediatricians and other medical care providers must address other aspects of adolescents’ driving safety beyond vehicle selection. They must educate parents and adolescents about the danger of risky management behaviors and promote safe driving habits, such as the use of the safety belt, safe night driving, limit adolescent passengers, avoid distractions and follow the requirements of driver licenses graduated by the State.
The data for this study were obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reports System (FARS), a broadly recognized comprehensive shock database in traffic safety research due to their detailed information on drivers, vehicles and accident environments involved in the US fatal accidents.