Study: Tennessee ranks No. 38 in teen driver fatalities during the summer

Automobile traffic jams Route 93 South, Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Boston. More than 33 million people in the United States are driving vehicles that contain a potentially deadly threat: Airbag inflators that in rare cases can explode in a collision and spew shrapnel. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

by: Octavia Johnson

Posted: May 28, 2023 / 04:10 PM EDT

Updated: May 28, 2023 / 04:10 PM EDT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A study from Bumper.com reveals that Tennessee ranks 38th in the nation for teen fatalities during the summer, but is in the top 10 list of the highest fatalities among teen drivers.

In the study, May was reported as the deadliest month for teen drivers in Tennessee.

Between June-September, Tennessee has a three-year average of 178.3 teen driver fatalities, accounting for 15% of all roadway fatalities, according to the study. The state had an estimated 191 fatalities involving teen drivers in 2022 with a rate of 6.22 fatalities per 10,000 licensed young drivers.

Wyoming, Delaware and Minnesota have the highest percentage of teen driver fatalities during summer. Florida, Maine and Kansas have the lowest percentage of teen fatalities during the summer.

Tennessee teen driver-related fatalities are as follows:

2017: 125 young driver fatalities
2018: 108 young driver fatalities
2019: 159 young driver fatalities
2020: 188 young driver fatalities
2021: 188 young driver fatalities

The nationwide average shows 37.5% of state teen driving deaths happen during the summer months. The national average is 4.85 fatalities per 10,000 young drivers.

New Mexico, Kentucky and Mississippi have the highest teen driver fatalities. Rhode Island, Minnesota and Massachusetts have the lowest rates of teen driving fatalities.

The study found that speeding is the top cause of young driver deaths and young drivers are much more likely to be in fatal accidents. Click here for the full study.