Youth Fatal Crash & Alcohol Facts

Statistics bear out the dangers of drinking and driving. For young people, the risks are especially high. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for youths ages 15 to 20.

Significance

• Almost one-third of drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who were involved in fatal crashes had been drinking. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, during 2000, this translated into the deaths of 2,339 youths.

Considerations

• From 1990 to 2000, youth alcohol-related deaths declined by more than one-third. This translated to 1,218 fewer deaths in 2000 than in 1990.

Male vs. Female

• Alcohol involvement in motor vehicle accidents is higher overall for males than females in the 15- to 20-year-old age bracket. In 2007, 14 percent of female drivers in this age bracket had been drinking when involved in a fatal crash, compared with 26 percent of male drivers of the same age who were involved in a fatal crash.