'100 Deadliest Days' of summer driving are underway. Now's the time to talk to your teen (Yahoo News)
Shift into Safe News
The Colorado Department of Transportation is urging parents to discuss safe driving habits with teenage drivers in their family in anticipation of the deadliest time of year for motorists.
In a May 28 news release, CDOT officials said Colorado State Patrol reported more at-fault crashes involving young drivers in May 2024 than in any other month.
Of the 3,577 at-fault crashes by drivers 16 to 21 years old investigated by CSP in 2024, 355 happened in May.
The top factors for at-fault crashes involving young drivers during that period were distracted driving, lane violations, following too closely, speeding, and failing to yield the right of way, according to CSP data.
A total of 88 drivers ages 20 or younger were killed in crashes on Colorado roads in 2024 — a 63% increase over the past decade. Even more fatalities of youth drivers were recorded in 2023, with a record-high 101 deaths.
Capt. Michael Tafoya, commander of CSP Troop 2D, which covers an area from the Pueblo-El Paso county line to the New Mexico border, said young drivers are generally more likely to take risks.
"They're exhibiting greater risks, like excessive speed, aggressive driving, because they're willing to take more risks due to lack of experience," Tafoya said.
However, Tafoya noted the statewide trend has not been the case in Pueblo, as Troop 2D saw an overall 50% reduction in fatality crashes in 2024 compared to the previous year, especially in the Pueblo area.
Nationally, teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are at the highest risk for motor vehicle crashes compared to any other age group, with a fatal crash rate nearly three times higher than that of drivers ages 20 and older, based on miles driven, according to CDOT.
In 2021, drivers ages 20 and younger made up just 5.1% of licensed drivers in the United States, yet they accounted for 8.5% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes and 12.6% of all crashes.
