John P. Carroll/CWN
BARNSTABLE – The number of fatalities in teen driver crashes on Cape Cod and across the rest of Massachusetts reached its highest point in over a decade last year, finds a new analysis from AAA Northeast.
In 2022, 49 people were killed in crashes involving 16 to 19 year-old drivers, which is the first time that number has 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.
As National Teen Driver Safety Week wrapped up on October 21, AAA Northeast analyzed teen driving crash data from the state’s IMPACT crash portal.
There were 16,709 drivers ages 16-19 involved in crashes in Massachusetts in 2022 which is equivalent to one teen-involved crash every 32 minutes.
The top five driver contributing circumstances to those crashes were driver inattention or distraction, failure to yield right-of-way, following too closely, speeding, and failure to keep in proper lane or running off the road.
“Teen driver crashes affect everybody on the road,” said Mark Schieldrop, AAA Northeast Senior Spokesperson.
“Parents and caregivers play a critical role in making sure young drivers learn in a safe environment,” Schieldrop said.
AAA is now offering tips for parents when talking to their teens about driving by encouraging them to wear their seatbelts, set limits on the amount of passengers, and signing a parent-teen driving agreement.
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