Indiana Traffic Safety Facts: Young Drivers 2012

Abstract

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers (Centers for Disease Control, 2010). Nationwide in 2010 (most recent data available), 10 percent of drivers in fatal crashes were ages 15 to 20. By most measures, young driver (ages 15 to 20) involvement in Indiana motor vehicle collisions has improved. There were 50,928 young drivers involved in 46,347 collisions in Indiana in 2008. By 2012, there were 40,417 young drivers involved in 37,325 collisions, a 5.6 percent annual decline in young drivers and 5.3 percent annual decline in young driver collisions.

Indiana crash data show that those drivers who took driver education were slightly less likely to have engaged in unsafe driving actions (e.g., following too closely, speeding, etc.). This fact sheet summarizes trends in Indiana young driver collisions. Indiana crash data come from the Indiana State Police Automated Reporting Information Exchange System (ARIES), current as of April 9, 2013.