Teen Passengers Increase Crash Risk for Teen Drivers

The Human Factors and Vehicle Safety program has released a Young Driver Policy Brief that compiles information from the latest research on the safety impact of teen passengers on teen drivers.

In 2008, NHTSA reported crash risk is three to five times higher for teens driving with teen passengers than for those driving alone. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has gone so far as to recommend limiting the number of teen passengers for teens driving without adult supervision to zero or one (not including family members).

This evidence has prompted many states to adopt passenger limits as part of their graduated drivers licensing systems. As of 2011, 43 states have introduced some form of passenger limitation during the intermediate license phase. To date, however, Iowa is one of only seven states with no law restricting passengers despite the fact that a recent survey of 1,065 Iowa parents across the rural, medium and urban population areas showed strong support for limits on teen passengers.