Teen Drivers vs Car Accidents

What is the relationship between the number of young drivers and the number of fatal vehicle collisions in the United States?

In the U.S., young drivers, who are below 20 years have an increased rate of being involved in fatal crashes as compared to drivers belonging to any other age group, with the exception of those who are at least 80 years old (Tefft, Williams & Grabowski, 2012). This paper aims at examining the relationship existing between the number of young drivers as well as the number of fatal vehicle collisions that take place in the United States. 

1.1 Statement of Goals

         i.            To find out the relationship between fatal vehicle collision in the United States and the number of young drivers.

       ii.            To examine the cause of increasing number of fatal vehicle collision in young people under the age of 24 in the United States.

      iii.            To find out the factors that increase the risk of fatal vehicle collision among young people in the United States.

1.2  Research Questions

         i.            What is the relationship between fatal vehicle collision and the number of young drivers in the U.S.?

       ii.            What is the cause of most fatal vehicle collisions among young drivers in the United States?

1.3  Hypothesis

         i.            The increase in fatal vehicle collision in the United States is as a result of an increase in the number of young drivers.

2.0 Methodology

The Research utilized a quantitative research design, as it recognizes less the researcher’s subjectivity in the study and focuses on the relationships that exist between dissimilar variables. It also creates a cause and effect in situations that are controlled.

2.1 Quantitative Participants

This research design identified 30 young people who are 24 years or younger (mean = 20.5 years). Fifty percent of them were males, and the rest were females. These young people were given online survey questions to answer and submit them.  The data from the survey was then recorded down for the purpose of analysis.

2.2 Quantitative Instrumentation

During the research, a Likert scale was handed to the participants in an online survey where they would record their responses. The responses were then collected for the purpose of analysis. The following were the survey questions.

 

Likert Scale

1.      Are young drivers the cause of the increasing fatal vehicle crashes in the U.S.?

                              Yes                                                No                                            

                                                                                                                                                      

2.      Among the young drivers, which gender is most likely to cause fatal vehicle crashes?

                              Males                                           Females                                              

                                                                                          

3.      Which one is the primary cause of fatal vehicle crashes among the young drivers?

   Drunkenness                       Over speeding                   Cell Phone use

                                                                                                                         

4.      Which among the following vehicles are mostly involved in fatal vehicle crashes?

Passenger Cars                   Light trucks                   Motorcycles

                                                                                                                                

5.      What time do most fatal vehicle crashes occur in the United States?

                          Daytime                                              Night                                              

                                                                                                                                                            

6.      Is fatigue one of the causes of increased fatal vehicle crashes among young people?

                                     Yes                                                   No

                                                                                         

7.      Among the young drivers who are most likely to get involved in fatal vehicle crashes?

                  16 – 20 years                                         20 – 25 years                  

                                                                                                                                               

8.      Are newly licensed young people the cause of most of the fatal vehicle crashes?

                                    Yes                                                     No

                                                                                           

9.      Should the government raise the age at which people can be allowed to drive?

                     Yes                                                No                                            

                                                                                                   

10.  Are the measures introduced by the government effective in curbing fatal vehicle crashes?

                      Yes                                               No                                            

                                                                                                                                                             

3.0 Results

After collecting the responses from the online survey, the following was observed.

25 participants in the study felt that young people are the cause of fatal vehicle crashes. Males were also found out to have more likelihood of causing such accidents, with only 10 out of 20 thinking that females cause more crashes. 50% of accidents were from Drunkenness while 40% from over speeding and 10% was from careless driving. 23 participants thought that passenger cars were found to be causing more of these crashes, whereas 15 of them thought that most accidents occurred at night. 70% of the respondents stated that young drivers of between 16 – 20 years were most likely to cause fatal vehicle crashes, whereas the newly licensed drivers recorded a score of 19 out of 30, as being more vulnerable to cause accidents.

4.0 Discussion

The findings demonstrate that there is a relationship that exists between the number of young drivers as well as the number of fatal vehicle collisions that occur in the U.S. This is because of some of the activities that young drivers engage in while driving such as driving under influence and over speeding. In another study carried out by Tefft, Williams & Grabowski, 2012, it also shows that the use of cell phones while driving is one of the causes of fatal vehicle crashes. The problem is attributable to many causes such as the higher likelihood of a young driver to use their cell phones whilst driving as compared to elder drivers (McCartt, Kidd & Teoh, 2014). This is because the usage of cell phones while driving acts as a distraction while driving. According to Wilson & Stimpson (2010), an increase in the level of texting while driving seems to be contributing to the alarming rise in the fatalities from distracted driving. AS As a result, the injuries that are from vehicle crashes is a lead cause of the death amongst teenagers.

5.0 Conclusion

The U.S. government must develop better measures that will make sure that people become more responsible drivers. It is also important that the legal age for driving be increased from 16 to at least 18 years. This way, the number of fatal vehicle crashes may lessen, as a result of lesser young people driving vehicles.