The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that crash fatalities are the leading cause (more than 33 percent) of death in American teens. Driver education programs and graduated licensing, which restricts full driving privileges until teens attain experience behind the wheel, can help reduce the inherent risks of teen driving.
Inexperience
Teen drivers have not had sufficient experience to perfect fundamental driving skills or to internalize safe driving habits. Consequently, teens do not recognize hazards or respond as effectively as experienced drivers would.
Proclivity for Risk Taking
The National Safety Council reports that hormone interaction with mood-regulating neurochemistry during the teen years can inspire thrill-seeking behavior, leading to risky driving practices. The CDC indicates that 12.5 percent of teen boys and 7.8 percent of teen girls rarely or never wear seat belts while driving. Teen drivers are also more likely to speed and tailgate than older drivers.
Alcohol
The CDC reports that, in 2008, 25 percent of all drivers aged 15 to 20 who perished in auto accidents had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater. Statistics reveal that 75 percent of the teens who died in those incidents were not wearing seat belts.
Tags: reports that, more than, percent teen, seat belts, Teen drivers