Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among American teenagers. More than 5,000 of our teenagers die in accidents every year. For the purposes of this topic, the term “adolescents” encompasses ages ranging from 15 to 20 years old. I am proposing legislation to address this problem. According to national teen driving statistics, 16-year-olds, in particular, are 3 (three) times more likely to die in an accident than the average of all drivers, and they have a higher accident risk. pupil. rate than any other age group. In 2008; 81% of teen crash deaths involved passenger vehicle occupants, 31% of teen drivers killed had been drinking alcohol, 55% were not wearing a seat belt, and 37% of teen drivers involved in deaths were traveling at high speed. Teenagers who drink and drive are at greater risk of serious crashes than older drivers at the same blood alcohol level. Teenagers don't wear seat belts as much as adults. Teenagers tend to take more risks due to overconfidence in their abilities. These risks include: speeding, tailgating (driving too close to the vehicle in front), running red lights, violating traffic lights and signs, illegal turns, dangerous overtaking and failure to yield. pedestrian crossing. Statistics show that 16 to 17 year olds The death rate of older drivers increases with each additional passenger, which is due to distracted driving. Taking your eyes off the road for 2 (two) seconds, at 60 mph, means you've driven blind half the length of a football field. The risk of death is 3.6 times higher when driving with passengers than when driving alone. For many years, the correlation between driving behavior and age has interested road safety researchers and administrators. It is common knowledge that the greatest risk of motor vehicle accidents...... middle of document ......Driving statistics; National teen driving statistics. California Department of Motor Vehicles. (2011). “Teen Driver Accident Statistics.” » Irvine, Martha. (September 9, 2008). HuffPost Business. “The teen driving age should be raised,” says the Auto Safety Group. »< http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/teen-driving-age-should-b_n_125010.html>Iowa Department of Transportation. (December 1, 2010). “Under 18 – Iowa Graduated Driver’s License (GDL).” Davis, Robert. (March 3, 2005). The United States Today. “Is 16 too young to drive a car?” » Driver's Ed Direct. (2007). “Distracted driving”. Picture.