NTSB Crash Report On Young African American Drivers

Automobile crashes are the number one cause of death for African Americans from birth through age 14, and the number two cause of death for African Americans ages 14 through 24.  Per mile traveled, African American males ages 13-19 are nearly twice as likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than males in general, according to the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for Injury Research and Policy.  All teen drivers represent only about 6.4 percent of the driving population, yet are involved in 13.5 percent of drivers in fatal crashes. Two-thirds of those passengers killed in single-vehicle crashes when teens were behind the wheel were also between the ages of 15 and 19.  Learning to drive, especially in today’s traffic, is a complex task that requires extensive practice to gain and maintain skills. 

Effective actions to reduce African American teen fatalities:
• To save teen lives, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that all States require graduated driver licensing.
• Graduated drivers licensing is a comprehensive program requiring young drivers to proceed through a three-stage program consisting of a learner’s permit, an intermediate or provisional license, and a full license. To obtain full licensure, a driver must complete the first two stages without any moving violations or at-fault crashes.
• Nighttime driving restrictions, teen passenger restrictions and cell phone use restrictions are also important elements of a comprehensive program.