There is good news for Boston and Massachusetts residents concerning car accidents. Massachusetts had the lowest fatality rate from all crashes (i.e. car accidents, bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents) involving passenger vehicles in 2008, according the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, teenage traffic deaths declined nearly 17% in 2009 compared to 2008 for youths aged 15 to 19, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says in a new report. The Boston car accident attorneys at the Law Office of Neil Burns are excited to share this news showing a decrease in teen car accident fatalities.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for Oct. 22, 2010, notes that the rates cited above have improved partly because of graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs. Such programs extend the period for learner’s licenses, place driving restrictions on young drivers, and limit the number of passengers allowed in their vehicles.
Not only did the national teenage traffic death rate decline in 2009 for 15- to 19-year-olds, but drivers aged 16 and 17 involved in fatal crashes declined 38% between 2004 and 2008, to a rate of 16.7 per 100,000 people, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report report.
Notwithstanding, teen traffic death rates vary widely among states, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says. The five-year annualized death rate for 16- to 17-year-olds involved in fatal crashes from 2004 to 2008 was 9.7 per 100,000 in New York, but 59.6 per 100,000 in Wyoming. Wyoming also had the highest fatality rate from all crashes involving passenger vehicles in 2008, at 24.8 per 100,000, while Massachusetts had the lowest at 4.9 per 100,000.
Although the downward trend is encouraging, we remind you that motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teenagers. The rule, as always, is to drive with safety in mind.