The Tar Heel State may be one of the deadliest for young drivers. This comes from a recent study from the website Value Penguin. According to their data, North Carolina’s teen fatality rate is 64% higher than the national average, with an average rate of 2.36 fatalities per 10,000 drivers under 19.
In 2017, more North Carolina adolescents died on the road than in New York, which has almost double the amount of licensed teen drivers. Teens in North Carolina were also 59% more likely to die in a car crash than those in South Carolina.
Several other southern states also wound up in the top five, including Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Males at higher risk of death than females
According to the data, male teens are 72% more likely to die in car crashes than females. Even in Vermont, which had the lowest number of teen vehicle fatalities, all nine teen motorists who died were male.
Top causes of teen driving fatalities
When inexperienced drivers hit the road in their early years, these are often the leading causes for crashes:
- Inexperience with driving
- Driving with passengers in the car
- Driving at night
- Not using seatbelts
- Drowsy driving
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
- Reckless driving
Luckily, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there are proven methods to help teens reduce their risk of getting killed.
Parents can reduce teen risk with proper education
Teens often enjoy the freedom they have when getting their license, but they should be aware of the dangers that come with that freedom. But by getting to understand the rules of the road and the consequences that can arise from reckless habits, parents can decrease their child’s risk of hurting themselves and others.
