Male teens over-represented in driver fatalities, research suggests

Teens, especially males, tend to be over-represented among fatally-injured drivers when compared with older drivers, according to a new analysis of Canadian research data.

The review, conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation and sponsored by insurer State Farm, suggests that there is a general declining trend in the number of teen drivers killed in road collisions, when looking at data between 2000 and 2010.

However, in 2010, 16 to 19-year-old drivers remained 30% more likely to be killed in crashes than drivers over 20, the research suggests. Male drivers accounted for 74% of all teen driver deaths on the road, according to the research.

In 2010, more than a third of teen drivers killed in road crashes also tested positive for either alcohol or drugs, at 36.6% and 39.2% respectively, according to TIRF.

Among those testing positive for alcohol, 44% had one or more passengers in the vehicle, it also notes.

Speed was a factor in 28.8% of the teen driver deaths examined. However, 19.4% of female teen driver fatalities were due to distraction, according to the research.

“Several factors play a role in teen driver road crashes including inexperience, peer pressure, and biological changes,” noted Ward Vanlaar, vice president of research at TIRF.

“Efforts by researchers, governments and other stakeholders to address these issues with evidence-based solutions are having positive effects, but these analyses suggest that not all teens are getting the message and continued attention to the problem is needed.”

On a positive note, results from the 2010 Road Safety Monitor on Youth Drinking and Driving suggested that a majority of young drivers aged 16 to 24 are aware of these issues and concerned about them, with a majority of young drivers agreeing that distracted driving and texting while driving, as well as young drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs, are serious problems, TIRF said.