Research Project Seeks to Address KY’s High Rate of Fatal Teen Crashes

Kentucky’s young drivers are involved in fatal crashes at rates well above the national average, prompting researchers at the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Transportation Center to examine the causes and identify strategies that could make driving safer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Traffic Safety Facts: Young Drivers,” showed Kentucky had the highest rate of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes in the nation.

The number was far above the national average and higher than that of the surrounding states. According to the report, Kentucky’s young driver fatal crash involvement rate was 138.36 (per 100,000 licensed drivers) in 2023 and 104.15 in 2022, compared to the national average of 42.40 in 2023,” according to a UK College of Public Health press release.

The release noted that fatal crashes involving teen drivers are complicated and often involve several contributing factors, making input from an interdisciplinary team essential.

“Rarely does a severe crash result from a single causal factor,” Benjamin Blandford, a senior research scientist at the Kentucky Transportation Center, said. “Multiple and overlapping factors generally lead to severe crashes.”

As an example, he said “57% of teen driver crashes involve roadway departure, and many also include aggressive or distracted driving,” according to the release.

The team has already provided the state with early findings on Kentucky teen driver crash patterns as officials developed the 2025-2029 Kentucky Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP).

After reviewing both state and national data, the researchers found that although the national report overstated Kentucky’s fatal crash rate for young drivers, the state’s rate was still significantly higher than the national average.

Northcutt, a developmental psychologist and injury prevention researcher with the College of Public Health, said teen drivers face added risk because they are still building the cognitive skills needed to drive safely, including attention management, impulse control and decision-making under pressure.

Further, the release says: “In Kentucky, these developmental challenges are intensified by the fact that the state does not require formal driver education. As a result, many teens enter the licensing process with fewer structured opportunities to practice navigating nighttime driving, rural roads, severe weather and high speed interstates.

Northcutt explained that without consistent, guided exposure to these conditions, teens may encounter them for the first time when they are already driving independently, increasing the likelihood of high-risk situations.”

The research is part of an ongoing project called “An Investigation of Teen Driver Involved Crashes in Kentucky (2020–2024).”