TRAFFIC & ROADS

Utah ranks third in number of deadly teen crashes

Jan 28, 2025, 9:17 PM

SALT LAKE CITY – For the last six years, Utah has been among the top 10 most dangerous states for teen drivers. According to a recent study, Utah is now in the top three.

The analysis was conducted by personal injury law specialists John Foy & Associates, who used data collected from 2018 to 2022 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The data determined which states had the highest percentage of driver fatalities involving drivers in the age range of 15 to 25.

The ten deadliest states for young drivers, ranked by percentage of young driver deaths in each state from 2018 to 2022. (NHTSA)

Jason Mettmann, with the Utah Department of Public Safety, said parents need to ensure their new-to-driving children know the rules of the road.

“As we look back over the past six years in Utah fatalities, we see that teen drivers account for about 16% of drivers that are involved in fatalities aged 15 to 20,” Mettmann told KSL TV. “16% may not seem like a whole lot, but these are our kids out there. These are new drivers we need to make sure that parents are holding their teen drivers to a high standard.”

Mettmann said that car-related incidents are called crashes, not accidents, “because there’s always something that either driver can do to make sure that they’re being safer.”

In 2019, there were reportedly 225 deadly crashes. That number increased from 2020 to 2022, according to the report. In 2024, the NHTSA said the number is trending downward.

The NHTSA reported that 53% of fatal crashes involved drivers between 15 and 20 years old. The data collected showed that 18 of those fatalities were occupants of other vehicles involved in teen-related crashes, while 17 of them were the young drivers themselves.

A graph showing fatalities in crashes involving young drivers. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

“In 2024, we actually saw a pretty dramatic improvement in teen driver fatalities,” Mettmann said. “It was only at 7% of our total. And teen drivers are generally involved in about 20% of crashes statewide. But that is a dramatic improvement that we’re glad to see.”

Mettmann said that compared to 2024 teen-related fatalities, 2025 is already looking up.

“So as we start the year in 2025, we look forward to much better driving out on the roadways,” Mettmann said. “We are encouraged by the fact that we are now on day number 12 without a fatality here in Utah. This is an excellent trend that we are quietly celebrating here at the Department of Public Safety. We’re excited to see this many people are choosing to drive better over the past 12 days, resulting in safer roads.

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