Teen Driving Deaths High in Tennessee

A recent study shows that Tennessee has one of the highest teen fatality rates in the country.  One Tennessee official blames this high death rate on a lack of mandatory driver’s education.

Allstate Insurance Company released its study, “Allstate America’s Teen Driving Hotspots,” which had Tennessee ranked as the sixth state in the country for driving deaths among teenagers.  The Memphis area was listed as 16th among 50 metropolitan regions included in the study.

The study found that the majority of fatal car accidents occurred in rural areas and in the South.  Male teen drivers were more than twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash and more than 50 percent of all crashes occurred among the 18 to 19 age group.

Some of the most common problems identified in the study regarding teen driving accidents had to do with speeding and lack of seat belts.  Local authorities also said that winding two-lane roads without shoulders are to blame for these accidents.

Allstate’s study was based on 2000-2006 data, which relied on information from Allstate insurance claims, the U.S. Census bureau and national crash statistics.  The Tennessee Department of Safety reported that 72 teens were killed in 2008 in Tennessee car accidents, which is actually lower than the previous year.

In Tennessee, teens are not required to complete driver’s education and many schools lack the funding to offer such a program, which can help teens make smart decisions when behind the wheel.

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