Facts About Young Adults 16 to 20

Chart 8 Percentage of All Occupants Killed or Injured in 2003 By Age, in Passenger Vehicles

In 2003, young drivers 16 to 20 made up about 6.3 percent (12.4 million) of the 196.2 million licensed drivers in the United States. These 12.4 million young drivers represent a 6 percent increase compared to the number of young drivers in 1993 (11.7 million).¹¹

The estimated economic cost of police-reported crashes involving drivers 15 to 20 was $40.8 billion in 2002.¹² This cost represents approximately 18 percent of the $230 billion a year these crashes cost society. In short, 6.4 percent of the drivers are responsible for 18 percent of the costs of traffic crashes.

In addition to the disproportionate “harm” that 16- to 20-year-old drivers experience from motor vehicle crashes, consider the following additional “costs” for young drivers and passengers:

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young adults 16 to 20.
  
  
• Young adults 16 to 20 are more likely to be killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes than children 15 and under. In 2003, of the 7,034 children up to age 20 who were killed in crashes, 74 percent were 16 to 20; of the 700,000 injured from birth to age 20, 65 percent were 16- to 20-year-olds.
  
  
• Although young drivers make up about 7 percent of the total licensed driving population, 15 percent (8,463) of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were young drivers 15 to 20 years old, and 17 percent (597,000) of all drivers involved in police-reported injury crashes were young drivers.
  
  
• During 2003, a young person died in a traffic crash an average of once an hour on weekends (6 p.m. Friday to 5:59 a.m. Monday) and nearly once every 2 hours during the week.
  
  
• In 2003, a total of 1,845 16- to 20-year-olds died when they were totally or partially ejected from a passenger vehicle.
  
  
• In 2003, the fatality rate (per 100,000 population) in motor vehicle crashes for 16- to 20-year-olds was approximately twice the rate for all ages. See Chart 9.

Facts About Safety Belt Use

Chart 9 Occupant Fatality Rates Per 100,000 Population in 2003 By Age, in Passenger Vehicles

• Sixty-three percent of the 5,240 young people 16 to 20 killed when riding in passenger vehicles in 2003 were not wearing safety belts.
  
  
• In 2003, almost 60 percent of the 3,237 drivers in the 16- to 20-year-old age group who were killed in passenger vehicle crashes were not wearing safety belts.
  
  
• Young drivers are less likely to use restraints if they have been drinking alcohol. In 2003, of the young drivers of passenger vehicles who had been drinking and were killed in crashes, 74 percent were unrestrained.

Facts About Motor-Vehicle-Related Deaths and Injuries

• In 2003, 16- to 20-year-old drivers had the highest fatality and injury rates per 100,000 licensed drivers. In fact, the fatality rate for young drivers was about three times the rate for drivers 25 to 64 years old.
  
  
• In 2003, about 53,000 young adults experienced incapacitating injuries. This number represents about 17 percent of all (313,000) incapacitating injuries.
  
  
• In 2003, about 157,000 young adults experienced nonincapacitating injuries. This number represents almost 20 percent of all (812,000) people with nonincapacitating injuries.
  
  
• Despite a small improvement in safety belt use for 16- to 20-year-old drivers, the percentage of fatalities in which the driver was not wearing a safety belt has been 60 percent or higher for the past 10 years. Only in 2003 did it drop below this, to 58 percent. See Chart 10.
  
  
• Drivers 16 to 20 have the highest involvement rates for fatalities and injuries (per 100,000 licensed drivers) in passenger vehicle crashes. This is especially true for male drivers in this age group. See Charts 11 and 12.¹³

Self-Reported Behavior, Attitudes, and Opinions on Safety Belt Use

The following information was reported in NHTSA’s 2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. This telephone survey was administered to a randomly selected national sample of 6,000 people 16 and older (with younger ages over-sampled).

Chart 10 Percentage of Driver Fatalities Among 16- to 20-Year-Olds, in Which Driver Was Unrestrained, 1994-2003 In Passenger Vehicles

Chart 11 Driver Fatality Rates per 100,000 Licensed Drivers in 2003 By Age and Gender, in Passenger Vehicles

Chart 12 Driver Injury Rates per 100,000 Licensed Drivers in 2003 By Age and Gender, in Passenger Vehicles

Safety Belt Use Behavior Among 16- to 20-Year-Olds

• Most drivers (79%) reported that they wear their safety belts all the time. About 11 percent reported that they wear their safety belts most of the time.
  
  
• Most (87%) 16-19-year-olds reported that when they were riding as passengers, they usually rode in the front seat. However, only 49 percent said they always wore safety belts when riding in the back seat, while 14 percent said they never wore their safety belts when riding in the back seat.
  
  
• One-fourth reported their use of safety belts when driving had increased in the past 12 months. (An estimated 2 percent indicated a decrease, while 73 percent indicated that use had stayed the same.)

Attitudes Toward Safety Belt Use

• Among people 16 to 24, 69 percent either strongly (51%) or somewhat (18%) agreed with the statement, “I have a habit of wearing a seat belt because my parents insisted I wear them when I was a child.”
  
  
• The number dropped to 44 percent among people 25 to 34 and to 26 percent among people 35 to 44, reflecting the lower usage rates during their childhood years.
  
  
• The vast majority of the public 16 and older either strongly agreed (88%) or somewhat agreed (7) with the statement, “If I were in an accident, I would want to have my seat belt on.” However, about one-half (47%) of 16- to 20-year-olds also agreed with the statement, “Seat belts are just as likely to harm you as help you.”
  
  
• About one in five people (19%) either strongly (13%) or somewhat (6%) agreed with the statement, “I would feel self-conscious around my friends if I wore a seat belt and they did not.” However, more than one in four (30%) of 16- to 20-year-olds strongly or somewhat agreed with this statement.
  
  
• Injury avoidance was the most frequent reason given for wearing a safety belt.
  
  
• The most common reasons given by drivers in the 16-20 age group for not wearing safety belts were that they forgot or were driving a short distance.
  
  
• Thirty percent of 16- to 20-year-olds agreed with the statement that a crash close to home was usually not as serious, and 27 percent agreed that putting on a safety belt makes them worry more about being in a crash.

Opinions About Safety Belt Use Laws

• When asked whether they favor front safety belt laws, 66 percent of 16- to 20-year-olds said they favor them “a lot” and 26 percent said they favor them “some.”
  
  
• Many (64%) 16- to 20-year-olds answered “yes” when asked whether police should be allowed to stop a vehicle if they observe a safety belt violation when no other traffic laws are being broken.
  
  
• Many (65%) 16- to 20-year-olds favored fines for drivers who do not wear safety belts.
  
  
• Almost half (42%) of 16- to 20-year-olds favored points against a license as a penalty for safety belt violations.

¹¹ Highway Statistics 2003. Section III: Driver Licensing. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs03/dl.htm).

¹² Traffic Safety Facts 2002. Young Drivers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 809 767.[Note: When available, data on 15-year-olds are included in this section because in some States 15-year-olds are licensed to drive. However, 15-year-olds constitute only 0.2 percent of licensed drivers.]

¹³ Rates shown in Chart 10 are obtained by dividing the number of involved drivers by the number of licensed drivers.