New teen drivers three times at risk of deadly crash: study

New teenage drivers aged between 16 and 17 are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash, a new US study warns.
"Statistics show that teen crashes spike during the summer months because teens are out of school and on the road," said David Yang from American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Researchers analysed crash rates per mile driven for all drivers. They found that for every mile on the road, drivers aged between 16 and 17 years old were 3.9 times as likely as drivers 18 years and older to be involved in a crash.

They also found that teenagers were 2.6 times as likely as 18-year-old drivers and older to be involved in a fatal crash, 4.5 times as likely as 30-59 year old drivers to be involved in a crash and 3.2 times as likely as drivers aged 30-59 year olds to be involved in a fatal crash.
Researchers highlighted three factors that commonly result in deadly crashes for teen drivers - distractions, not buckling up and speeding.
Distraction plays a role in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes.

The top distractions for teens include talking to other passengers in the vehicle and interacting with a smartphone, researchers said.

According to the latest data available, 60 per cent of teen drivers killed in a crash were not wearing a safety belt.
Speeding is a factor in nearly 30 per cent of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
A recent AAA survey of driving instructors found that speeding is one of the top three mistakes teens make when learning to drive, researchers said.