Breaking News:

AP

Report: Young driver fatality rates have fallen sharply in the US, helped by education, technology

Oct 19, 2023, 6:30 AM

FILE - Heavy traffic heads south on Interstate 93 over the Zakim Bridge, Sept. 1, 2023, in Boston. ...

FILE - Heavy traffic heads south on Interstate 93 over the Zakim Bridge, Sept. 1, 2023, in Boston. Crash and fatality rates among drivers under 21 have fallen dramatically during the past 20 years, according to a new report made public Wednesday, Oct. 18, while noting young drivers are still by far the riskiest group behind the wheel. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Crash and fatality rates among drivers under 21 have fallen dramatically in the U.S. during the past 20 years, a new report says, while noting young drivers are still the riskiest group behind the wheel.

Using data from 2002-2021, a non-profit group of state highway safety offices says in the report made public Wednesday that fatal crashes involving a young driver fell by 38%, while deaths of young drivers dropped even more, by about 45%. For drivers 21 and older, fatal crashes rose 8% and deaths rose 11%.

The report from the Governors Highway Safety Association acknowledges that young people are driving less than they were 20 years ago, but highlights several other reasons for the improvement, while offering recommendations for building on them.

State programs that phase in driving privileges were at the top of the list. These programs, called graduated drivers license laws, often restrict or ban certain activities, such as driving at night or with peers, for teens. The GHSA suggests strengthening those programs and even expanding them to cover drivers 18 to 20 years old, like Maryland and New Jersey do.

Other recommendations include bolstering adult and parent participation in their child’s driving education, more peer-to-peer education programs and making driver training accessible to all.

“Young drivers are the riskiest age group on the road, and the reasons are straightforward — immaturity and inexperience,” said Pam Shadel Fischer, author of the GHSA report. ”Many young drivers simply don’t have the behind-the-wheel experience to recognize risk and take the appropriate corrective action to prevent a crash.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission, overall traffic fatalities dropped 3.3% in the first half of the year compared with the prior-year period and have now fallen in five straight quarters after a pandemic surge.

In 2022, there were 42,795 people killed on U.S. roadways, which government officials described at the time as a national crisis.

The GHSA study said the young driver crash fatality rate improved over the past 20 years in all but three states and the District of Columbia.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

AP

Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow USAID funds...

ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press

Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow funds for foreign aid to flow again

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development programs abroad.

6 hours ago

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Independent preside...

Amanda Seitz, Associated Press

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as Trump’s secretary after a close Senate vote

The U.S. Senate has voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s health secretary.

19 hours ago

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, arrives...

David Klepper, Associated Press

Senate confirms Gabbard as Trump’s director of national intelligence after Republicans fall in line

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence after Republicans who had initially questioned her experience and judgment fell in line behind her nomination. Gabbard was an unconventional pick to oversee and coordinate the country’s 18 different intelligence agencies, given her past comments sympathetic to Russia, a meeting she held with […]

2 days ago

Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical ...

David Crary, Associated Press

Trump won’t block immigration arrests in houses of worship. Now these 27 religious groups are suing

More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration move allowing immigration agents to make arrests at houses of worship.

3 days ago

A flag is raised during halftime of the NFL Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 football game between the ...

JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

What’s happening in the Gaza Strip and Sudan that sparked a protest at the Super Bowl halftime show?

A brief protest by a performer at Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show unfurled a flag emblazoned with the words Sudan and Gaza.

3 days ago

A Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) is seen in Nuevo León, Mexico, in July 2022....

Ty Oneil and Felicia Fonseca, Associated Press

Mexican long-nosed bats are no strangers to southeastern Arizona. The proof is in the saliva

Scientists have long suspected that Mexican long-nosed bats migrate through southeastern Arizona, but without capturing and measuring the night-flying creatures, proof has been elusive.

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Report: Young driver fatality rates have fallen sharply in the US, helped by education, technology