Teens Who Drive Older Vehicles Have Increased Risk for Fatal Crashes

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Newer vehicles and driver assistance technologies show promise in reducing crashes and injury severities. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital reviewed national fatal crash data (2016–2021) and examined the vehicle age and driver assistance technologies of vehicles driven by teen and middle-aged drivers, and their associations with driver deaths during fatal crashes.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found that driving vehicles 6–15 years old had a 19% greater risk of driver death in fatal crashes, and driving vehicles older than 15 years had a 31% greater risk, both compared to driving vehicles five years old or newer, regardless of driver age. Additionally, each driver assistance technology already present in vehicles was associated with a 6% reduction in the risk of driver death in fatal crashes.

“Because every family wants their teen to arrive anywhere safely, teen driver fatalities are a serious public health concern,” said Jingzhen Ginger Yang, Ph.D., MPH, lead author of the study and principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s.

“Given teen drivers’ high crash rates compared to other age groups and their increasing involvement in fatal crashes, it is crucial for teen drivers to operate the safest vehicles available.”

The study found that teen drivers (15–18 years) were more likely than middle-aged drivers (31–55 years) to drive vehicles older than 15 years and vehicles with fewer driver assistance technologies at the time of fatal crashes. Older vehicles and vehicles with fewer driver-assistance technologies were associated with a higher risk of death for drivers involved in fatal crashes, regardless of driver age.

“Our findings, along with those from other studies, underscore the importance of safe vehicle strategies, education for families, and ensuring teens drive safer cars whenever possible,” said Fangda Zhang, Ph.D., research scientist in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s and co-lead author of the study.

“Parents commonly pass their old vehicles to their teens who are still learning basic driving skills. While it is an exciting milestone for families with new drivers, this practice increases teens’ vulnerability to vehicle malfunctions, making their driving less safe.”

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-teens-older-vehicles-fatal.html