Report: Speeding Deadlier Among Teens

Teenagers driving Among teen drivers, speeding-related fatalities have been rising in recent years. Between 2015 and 2019, 43% of the 4,930 roadway deaths of teen drivers and passengers were due to speeding, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

In contrast, speeding was a factor in 30% of fatal car accidents among drivers and passengers ages 20 and older. Although the data predates the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s still a rise in overall traffic crashes despite fewer drivers on the road due to quarantines and stay-at-home directives.

We Have A Problem - And It's Getting Worse

A total of 11,260 people were killed on roadways across the country between July and September 2020, which marked a 13.1% increase compared to the same time the previous year, according to a Jan. 13 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Our country has a speeding problem that has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic,” GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins stated in a Jan. 25 press release. “The data tells us that teen drivers are the most likely to be tempted to speed, so the need to address this issue is more critical than ever given traffic death trends during the pandemic.”

While the data still reflects a higher risk for teen fatalities due to speeding, the GHSA has also provided recommendations to help curb speeding among teen drivers.

Educate: Elected officials, media, and influencers should be educating teens about the risk of injury or death from speeding.
Advocate: By calling for graduated driver licensing laws, states would be able to raise awareness about teen crash risks and the benefits of restricting late-night driving or driving with passengers.
Resources: By creating national driver training curricula and providing resources and programs on driver education, teens can learn how to be safer drivers.

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