Fatalities In MA Teen Driver Crashes Highest Since 2008: AAA

MASSACHUSETTS — The number of fatal teen driver crashes in Massachusetts reached its highest point in over a decade last year, according to an analysis from AAA Northeast. In 2022, 49 people were killed in crashes involving 16-to-19-year-old drivers.

This marked the first time that number had eclipsed 40 in more than a decade, and the highest since 56 people were killed in such crashes in 2008. That increase parallels a growing number of people killed in teen driver crashes nationwide.

AAA Northeast analyzed teen driving crash data from the state’s IMPACT crash portal. There were 16,709 drivers ages 16-to-19 involved in crashes in Massachusetts in 2022, equivalent to one teen-involved crash every 32 minutes.

The top five driver-contributing circumstances to those crashes were: driver inattention or distraction (2,590 crashes); failure to yield right-of-way (1,651 crashes); following too closely (1,457 crashes); speeding (932 crashes); and failure to keep in proper lane / running off road (617 crashes).

“Teen driver crashes affect everybody on the road,” Alec Slatky, managing director of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Northeast, said in a statement. “Parents and caregivers play a critical role in making sure young drivers learn in a safe environment.”

AAA offered the following tips for parents when talking to their teens about driving:

• Wear your seatbelt: teens model parents’ behaviors, and wearing a seatbelt is the best protection you can give yourself in the event of a crash.
• Set limits on other passengers: research shows the risk of a fatal crash dramatically increases when teen passengers accompany a teen driver, but having a parent or guardian in the car decreases the risk of a fatal crash.
• Sign a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement: aim to lay ground rules for your teen driver that exceed the Graduated Driver Licensing restrictions.