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U.S. Teen Driver Fatalities Surge
Deaths of 16- and 17-year-old drivers in the U.S. jumped 19% to 240 fatalities in the first half of last year from the same period in 2011, according to the Governors Highway Safety Assn.
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Deaths of 16- and 17-year-old drivers in the U.S. jumped 19% to 240 fatalities in the first half of last year from the same period in 2011, according to the Governors Highway Safety Assn.
GHSA opines that distraction from mobile devices is probably a significant factor in that increase. The group adds that another likely cause is a rise in driving hours as a result of the improving economy.
GHSA's study is based on preliminary data from states and the District of Columbia.
The group notes that teen driver fatalities had been declining since 2000. By 2010, deaths had fallen by nearly two-thirds for 16-year-olds and more than half for 17-year-olds.
GHSA attributes much of that improvement to stricter state limits on new drivers. It urges states to update those laws to ban cell phone use by young motorists.
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