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The leading cause of death for Minnesota's 15-17 year olds is traffic crashes. Crashes accounted for more deaths in 1999 in Minnesota than the next three leading causes added together. In 2000, one in ten licensed teenage drivers were in a reported motor vehicle crash.
The six most common risk factors among teen drivers are:
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Inattentiveness - driver distraction is the most common factor in multiple vehicle crashes |
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Excessive speed - illegal/unsafe speed is the most common factor in single vehicle crashes for teen drivers |
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Failure to wear a safety belt - properly wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45% in a car and 60% in a light truck |
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Fatigue - a person who has been awake for 24 hours experiences impairment nearly equal to a blood alcohol concentration of .10% |
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Not checking traffic before pulling out - Most crashes involving teens occur at intersections because of their inexperience judging distance and speed |
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Driving with other teens - The presence of passengers strongly increases crash risk. For teen drivers, the more passengers the greater the risk |
Check out our Teen Driving Contract--it can help clarify expectations of you and your parents when it comes to your driving privileges.
For Your Information:
Do you know how much alcohol can you consume before you get behind the wheel in Minnesota?
Ever wonder what a speeding ticket would cost you? Take a look at some of the most commonly issued citations and the associated fees and penalties.
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