Student drivers: a study of fatal motor vehicle crashes involving 16-year-old drivers.
OBJECTIVE
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for US teenagers, accounting for 40% of fatalities. The purpose of this study was to compare novice (aged 16 years) and experienced (aged 25 to 49 years) drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes with respect to crash characteristics and driver behaviors.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study of fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (1995 to 2001). Driver and crash variables were compared in the 2 age groups using separate logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, geographic locale, and year.


RESULTS
Two thousand four hundred twenty fatal motor vehicle crashes were included; 158 fatalities (6.5%) were novice drivers. Novice drivers were more likely to have been speeding (odds ratio [OR] 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34 to 3.08); driving recklessly (OR 4.78, 95% CI 3.31 to 6.92); charged with a traffic violation (OR 3.08, 95% CI 2.20 to 4.31); in a single-vehicle (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.57), rollover (OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.91) or run-off-the-road (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.30) crash; and carrying 2 (OR 4.52, 95% CI 2.75 to 7.41) or more (OR 4.07, 95% CI 2.49 to 6.55) passengers. Safety belt nonuse was high for novice (48%) and experienced (42%) drivers (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.67). Novice drivers had older cars (mean difference 1.5 years, 95% CI 0.37 to 2.57 years). Novice drivers were less likely to be involved in crashes caused by alcohol (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.41) or adverse weather (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.75) and to be driving a sport utility vehicle (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.97).


CONCLUSIONS
Fatal motor vehicle crashes involving novice drivers are characterized by speeding, recklessness, single-vehicle and rollover crashes, and traffic law violations, suggesting that novice drivers bear considerable responsibility for their fatal crashes. Moreover, almost half of 16-year-old drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes were not wearing their safety belts. These data may prove useful in strengthening graduated licensing laws and in improving drivers' education courses and public safety campaigns.
Gonzales
Michael M
MM
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, USA.
Dickinson
L Miriam
LM
DiGuiseppi
Carolyn
C
Lowenstein
Steven R
SR
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000193:education; D002423:Cause of Death; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014887:Weather