Here come the 100 deadliest days for teenagers
As teenagers celebrate prom, graduation ceremonies and summer break, highway safety officials prepare for a grimmer season – the “100 deadliest days’’ for teen driver-related traffic fatalities. Young drivers (defined by the NHTSA as between the ages of 15 to 20) are statistically more likely than other age groups to be involved in fatal accidents and as we enter the summer months, Bumper, analyzed traffic fatalities to estimate which states have a higher likelihood of teen driver-related deaths.
Kerry Sherin, Senior PR & Data Studies Manager at Bumper, said:
“Every year brings a new wave of teen drivers to U.S. roadways, many of whom will soon be hitting the road for various celebrations and travel plans, potentially putting themselves and others on the road at risk. We hope this will raise awareness about the risks associated with teen driving and encourage parents, educators, and policymakers to take action to improve teen driver education and promote safe driving habits.”
Bumper found Wyoming has the highest percentage of teen driver-related fatalities in the summer months – more than half of all teenage driving deaths happen between the months of June through September. Still, no state is immune from the summertime rise in fatal teen accidents: On average nationwide, 37.5% of state teen driving deaths happen during the summer months. And when teen drivers cause fatal accidents, most often the victims are also young people – from 2019 through 2021, 55.6% of victims were 20 years old or younger.
Bumper used historical accident data from the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Highway Administration and 2022 fatality estimates from the National Safety Council (NSC) to determine its findings on teen roadway deaths.
States with the highest percentage of teen driver-related fatalities during summer months
| State | Percent of fatalities June-September |
| Wyoming | 56.5% |
| Delaware | 47.5% |
| Minnesota | 47.4% |
| Montana | 45.9% |
| South Dakota | 44.6% |
| North Dakota | 44.4% |
| Connecticut | 43.8% |
| Alaska | 42.9% |
| Washington | 42.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 42.2% |
*Based on historical data from the NHTSA and 2022 fatality estimates from NSC.
States with the lowest percentage of teen driver-related fatalities during summer months
| State | Percent of fatalities June-September |
| Florida | 31.0% |
| Maine | 31.9% |
| Kansas | 32.5% |
| Hawaii | 33.3% |
| Kentucky | 33.7% |
| Arizona | 34.1% |
| Georgia | 34.7% |
| West Virginia | 34.7% |
| Texas | 35.2% |
| Indiana | 35.4% |
*Based on historical data from the NHTSA and 2022 fatality estimates from NSC.
Image Credits
In-Article Image Credits
A convertible Mercedes Car Driving On A Highway in Washington State via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. May 30, 2009Featured Image Credit
A convertible Mercedes Car Driving On A Highway in Washington State via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. May 30, 2009
