Gen Z Might Be the Safest Generation of Teen Drivers, Experts Say

For generations, teens have been considered the most dangerous drivers on the road. But Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) might be the first generation of teens to challenge that stereotype. 

Since 2012, when the first Gen Z teens got their permits, teenage drivers have seen fewer fatal crashes than any previous generation. Despite unprecedented levels of distraction from smartphones and social media, teens today are less likely to get into a serious car accident than ever before. 

To understand the factors driving increased road safety for Gen Z — and what they could mean for families — Bankrate’s insurance editorial team dug into the numbers and talked to experts in teen driver safety. What we discovered: Today’s teens may not be better drivers than previous generations, but external factors are making them safer than ever on the road.  

Are Gen Z teens more dangerous drivers than millennials?

The short answer: No, teens today aren’t more dangerous drivers than before. In fact, on average, Gen Z is the safest generation of teen drivers we’ve seen yet. 

But it’s a little more complicated than that. 
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows a significant decrease in fatal crash involvement among young drivers (ages 15 to 20) over the past 30 years. Since NHTSA published its first annual report on Traffic Safety Facts for Young Drivers in 1994, young drivers’ fatal crash involvement rate has dropped by nearly 40 percent.

Millennials — drivers born between 1981 and 1996 — saw greater gains in teen driver safety than either Gen X or Gen Z. Between 1996, when the first millennial drivers got their licenses, and 2012, when the first Gen Z drivers hit the road, fatal crash involvement among drivers aged 15 to 20 dropped by nearly 48 percent. In the same time period, the number of young drivers killed dropped by nearly 45 percent.  

By contrast, Gen Z has seen fatal crash involvement tick up among young drivers. While fatal teen crashes hit a historic low in 2013, they’ve crept up again in recent years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2022, teen driver fatalities were up 8.5 percent since 2012, and fatal crash involvement per 100,000 licensed drivers is up by 16 percent. 

But even with these recent shifts, Gen Z teens still see fewer traffic fatalities than any generation before them. On average, since Gen Z entered the driving force, the U.S. has seen just over 1,800 young driver fatalities per year, compared to over 3,000 for both Gen X and millennials. 

And experts expect the downward trend in teen driver deaths to continue. “We’re really well set up for crashes to continue falling among teen drivers,” says Rebecca Weast, research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). 

Pam Fischer, senior director of external engagement at the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), agrees. “If there’s any age group where we are going to see zero fatalities,” she says, “it’s with teens.” Will it happen in her lifetime? “I hope so,” Fischer says. “Based on the strides that we’re making, we have the potential to get there.” 

Teen drivers are safer than they used to be — but not because they’re better drivers

Why are Gen Z teens so much safer than millennials or Gen X? Experts believe several factors can explain the drop in teen driving fatalities — but better driving habits aren’t necessarily one of them. 

“It’s very difficult to pinpoint whether teens who are driving now are engaging in more or less risky specific driving behaviors than teens were 10 to 20 years ago,” Weast says. 

Take cell phone use, for example — a major concern for parents with driving-age teens. Distraction poses significant risks to teen drivers, but Weast says it’s “really difficult to capture in the data.” Traffic safety statistics are drawn from crash reports and insurance claims — and because texting or checking Instagram while driving is illegal, teen drivers aren’t likely to admit that they were on their phones at the time of a crash. 

And where data is readily available, it still shows more dangerous habits among teen drivers than other age groups. A 2021 report by GHSA found that from 2015 to 2019, 43 percent of all fatal crashes involving teens were speeding-related, compared to just 30 percent for crashes involving drivers 20 years and older. 

So, if teens aren’t necessarily cutting out bad driving habits, why have fatal crashes dropped so precipitously among this age group?

Teens may not be safer than a generation ago, but driving is. Weast and Fischer point to three key factors driving the reduction in teen driver fatalities: economic trends, improvements in vehicle safety and, above all, the implementation of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws nationwide since 1996.

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)

When it comes to making teens safer participants on U.S. roads, Fischer says, “The number one thing that’s made a difference is graduated driver licensing. We know that’s the most effective tool in the toolbox.” 

Graduated driver licensing, or GDL, refers to state programs that gradually phase young drivers into operating a motor vehicle, with certain restrictions and requirements in each phase. Most GDL programs involve three phases: 

• Learner stage: States institute a minimum age, usually 16 years, at which young drivers can obtain a learner’s permit. During this period, states may require a mandatory holding period of six to 12 months, a certain number of supervised driving hours and/or driver education and training.
• Restricted license stage: Once young drivers pass the permit stage and reach the minimum licensing age, states place restrictions on licensed drivers under 18. Common restrictions include curfews on nighttime driving and passenger restrictions.
• Unrestricted license stage: States stipulate the minimum age at which drivers can drop passenger and nighttime driving restrictions. Completing driver education or holding a restricted license for a certain time period can allow teens to reach their unrestricted license earlier. 

Both Weast and Fischer agree that GDL was a primary factor contributing to the sharp decrease in teen driving fatalities from the late 1990s into the 2010s. But, they say, the momentum behind these programs has stalled in the past decade or so, leaving GDL with significant gaps. 

States like Idaho and South Dakota allow teens to get their permits as young as 14. Some states, like Arkansas and Mississippi, don’t require teens to complete any supervised driving hours before getting their driver’s license, while others — Florida, North Dakota and Vermont, for example — skip out on restrictions on passengers or nighttime driving.

“We have in this country what I call GDL fatigue,” Fischer says. States with less optimal GDL programs don’t seem interested in updating their laws, despite evidence that doing so could lower teen driver risk significantly. For example, according to IIHS’s GDL calculator, if Florida updated its GDL program to match the best practices identified by teen safety experts, the state could see a 45 percent reduction in fatal crashes and a 20 percent reduction in collision claims.

Improvements in vehicle safety

At the same time that states began passing GDL laws, the auto industry made significant gains in vehicle safety. One of the biggest measures that have impacted teen safety in the past three decades is the introduction of electronic stability control (ESC). 

Electronic stability control is an automated safety technology that helps to keep cars on course when the driver loses control of the vehicle. Using sensor data, ESC can make throttle and braking adjustments to prevent skidding, oversteering and other driver mistakes that can send a car off the road or into a roll. 

In 2007, NHTSA established a new Federal Vehicle Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS No. 126) requiring automakers to include ESC systems in all new light vehicles by 2011. Since 2012, ESC has been mandatory equipment on all light passenger vehicles. 

“That’s a big deal for teens,” Fischer says. “That’s made a huge difference.” Research shows teens have more trouble keeping vehicles on the road than other age groups. Of the fatal speeding-related crashes studied by GHSA in 2021, 71 percent involved roadway departure and 41 percent involved vehicle rollover when 16-year-old drivers were involved. For 19-year-old drivers, the rate of roadway departure was 65 percent, and rollover was 33 percent — and for older drivers, the risk of both events dropped even further. 

Today, safety tech required by federal law in all new vehicles includes ESC and backup cameras, and other systems like forward collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring are increasingly common as standard or optional equipment on new vehicles. Starting in 2029, automatic emergency braking (AEB) will also be mandatory — and teen driver fatalities may see another dramatic drop as the new rule is phased in.

Economic recession

The third factor that’s shaped the landscape of teen driver safety in the past few decades is the economy. While inflation, unemployment and shifting interest rates might not seem to have a direct link to reducing teen traffic fatalities, the data shows a strong correlation between economic recession and reduced driving deaths.

“Part of the effects of a standard economic recession is that people drive less,” Weast explains. When unemployment levels rise, people who would otherwise be on the road commuting to and from work stay at home. And when the recession ends and people return to the road, it’s common to see a rebound effect in traffic fatalities. 

In the case of teens, the effect may be even greater. The years of the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009 saw the steepest drop in teen fatal crash involvement in the last 30 years, followed by a small rebound moving into the 2010s. 

But the most recent recession — the COVID-19 recession — had a slightly different impact on teen driving. 

“Everything went up a lot,” Weast says. Reckless driving, speeding, alcohol-involved crashes — across all age groups, dangerous driving skyrocketed in 2020 and 2021. For teens, the impact was notable: from just 1,603 young driver fatalities in 2019, deaths jumped to a high of 2,116 in 2021 — a 32 percent increase. 

It’s the sharpest jump in young driver fatalities in decades, but Weast says it’s not necessarily a sign that teens, specifically, are becoming more dangerous drivers. Dangerous driving spiked for all age groups in 2021, she points out: “Teens are following the overall trends; there’s nothing I’ve seen that makes them diverge.”

Why is teen car insurance so expensive despite these gains?

Despite major progress in teen driver safety over the past 30 years, car insurance for teenagers remains a huge expense for many households. On average, it costs between $2,854 and $1,594 per year to add a teen driver to an existing full coverage car insurance policy. If you have multiple teen drivers in your household or are adding a new car or additional coverage to your policy, you can expect an even bigger bump. 

Why do insurance companies still charge so much for teens? Although Gen Z teens have a lower accident rate than previous generations, they still present a higher risk than adult drivers. Inexperience and immaturity will always pose additional crash risks that older, more experienced drivers don’t face. 

Fischer says the only thing that can address those risks is time. The longer a teen is licensed, the more experience they have. As they age into the young adult category, their insurance rates should begin to drop to reflect that experience. 

In other words, patience is key for parents — but while you wait for your teen to age out of the most expensive insurance bracket, you can take a few steps to lower the cost of insurance for your family: 

• Look into defensive driving discounts: Some carriers offer discounted rates to teen drivers who complete a defensive driving course or other driver training. Ask your agent if your household is eligible for this type of discount.
• Compare quotes from different companies: Teens are risky insurance subjects no matter where you go, but certain carriers may quote you a more manageable rate with a teen on your policy.
• Consider using telematics: For families with teens, telematics apps that track their driving have a few potential advantages — real-time feedback on unsafe driving habits, quick access to emergency services and roadside assistance if their teen is in an accident and even potential insurance discounts for families that log safe driving.