North Dakota Driver Risk Prevention Curriculum Guide Developed by North Dakota Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association Funded by The North Dakota Department of Transportation Crash Facts and Teen Drivers

911 Occurs Every 25 Days On Our Nation's Highways

2006

Americans Killed in Combat vs. Motor Vehicle Fatalities* 3,070,189 620,219 (225 years) (100 years) *Combat Deaths 1775-1999; Motor Vehicle Fatalities 1900-1999.

2008 37,261 killed in traffic crashes Lowest level since 1961 (9.7% decline since 2007) The fatality trend is moving downward, but how can we call 37,261 dead a success? NHTSA 2008

American Driving Culture 205 Million Licensed Drivers Deaths 37,261 Injuries 2,346,000 Property Damage 4,146,000 LER Crashes 5,811,000 Unreported Crashes Close Calls Stressful Situations High Risk Driver Behaviors “Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted” - Albert Einstein NHTSA 2008

Driver Research 90% of fatal crashes are the result of driver behavior 21% of those crashes are attributed to aggressive driving 90% of fatals could have been avoided if the driver had reacted one second sooner

Driver Research 50% of all rear-end and intersection related collisions and 30% of oncoming traffic collisions could have been avoided had the driver recognized danger 1/2 sec. earlier and reacted correctly

Motor Vehicle Crashes & Teenagers Motor vehicle crashes are the LEADING cause of death for teenagers ages 15-20 Teenage drivers ages 15-20 account for 6.3% of all drivers but account for 12.9% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes NHTSA, July 2008 “A Report to Congress”

16 Year Old’s Deficiencies in Specific Driving Behaviors that Cause Crashes (McKnight 2002) 1) Attention-23% 2) Adjust Speed-20.8% 3) Search Ahead-19.1% 4) Search to the Side-14.2% 5) Maintain Space-9.8% 6) Tie Search to Rear/Emergencies 9.4%

TEEN CRASH FACTS In 2006, young drivers age 16-20 were involved in 6,984 fatal traffic collisions. 3,406 young people were killed. 1,648 16 – 20 year olds died in crashes involving at least one driver/motorcycle operator with BAC of .08 or higher. Source: NHTSA, 2006

TEEN CRASH FACTS Among 15- to 20-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2006, 31% of the drivers who were killed had been drinking. (NHTSA 2008) In 2006, young drivers who had been drinking and were killed in crashes, 77% were not wearing safety belts. (NHTSA 2008)

TEEN CRASH FACTS Sixteen-year-olds have almost ten times the crash risk of drivers age 30-59. (Williams, A.F., 1996) Twenty-one percent (21%) of young drivers killed in fatal crashes in 2000 had a BAC of .10 or higher. (NHTSA, 2001)

Male drivers spend an average of 81 minutes a day driving If a male receives his license at 16 and drives for sixty years, he will drive 29,565 hours in his lifetime. That is equivalent to driving 24 hours a day for 1,232 days, or 3.375 years of his life. USA Today USA Snapshots-10/12/98

Female drivers spend an average of 64 minutes a day driving If a female receives her license at 16 and drives for sixty years, she will drive 23,360 hours in her lifetime. That is equivalent to driving 24 hours a day for 973 days, or 2.665 years of her life USA Today USA Snapshots-10/12/98

Safety Belts Work! Most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries when traffic crashes occur Estimated to save 9,500 lives in America each year Lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50%

Safety belts and child safety seats work! Yet, in the U.S. in 2006 55% of both adults and children who died in traffic crashes were restrained.