Back-to-School: Teens Behind the Wheel - Shocking Stats You Need to Know
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Buckle up parents, because the back-to-school season is officially in full swing. From driving to school and around campus to going to extra-curricular activities, your teenagers are officially back in the driver's seat.
Most South African roads are quite risky to navigate, and statistics paint a grim picture of the country's road safety situation.
According to the statistics released by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, 2 818 fatalities were recorded between January and March 2024 compared to 2 498 for the same period in 2023. For the same period in 2024, 2 327 deadly crashes were recorded compared to 2 132 period in 2023. This is an increase of 12.81% in fatalities and 9.15% in deadly crashes.
Speed is one of the most critical risk factors for road traffic injuries, and this is a common trend
in South Africa. RTMC said the highest speed recorded over the festive period (1 December 2024 - 1 January 2025) was in Limpopo on the N1, where a driver was caught driving at 209km/h in a 120km/h zone on the 17th of December 2024.
It has also been recorded that most fatal car crashes occurred on weekends in the fourth quarter of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
How are these car accident statistics directly linked to teenage drivers?
The World Health Organisation said road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years, giving us insight into just how fatal car accidents can be for teenagers.
According to the RTMC, more young adults die on the roads as drivers than any other age group. In the first quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year, the percentage of driver fatalities in the age group 25 to 44 was 60.2% of all driver fatalities, compared to 57.7% for the same period in the 2022/2023 financial year was 57.7%.
5 key reasons why car accident rates are higher in teenage drivers
Distracted driving: Distracted driving accounts for 60% to 80% of car accidents in South Africa. Texting while driving makes you 23% more likely to be involved in an accident, and while this isn't safe for anyone, teenagers are 5 to 6 times more likely to crash than adults. In fact, in 44% of distracted driving accidents that resulted in fatalities, the victims were between 15 and 19 years old.
Failure to wear a seatbelt: A study conducted by Volvo found that 52% of 18-24-year-olds say they “sometimes or never” wear seatbelts. The Head of Marketing and Communication at Volvo Car South Africa Felipe Yagi highlighted that young drivers are not aware of the legal implications of not wearing a seatbelt. According to the study, 14% of all car users view wearing seatbelts as “uncool”. Furthermore, 59% of passengers travelling in townships or informal settlements have admitted to not wearing seatbelts in familiar areas so they do not feel like “outsiders”. “This leads some people to tuck their seatbelts behind their backs just to fit in — a move that completely defeats the purpose,” said Yagi.
Not wearing a safety belt not only increases your teen's chances of severe injuries such as head trauma and internal organ damage but can also result in them being ejected from the vehicle, which is usually fatal.
High-speed driving: At 20 km/h, a minor driving error can quickly be corrected, but at 120 km/h, the same error could prove deadly. This is something we unfortunately see a lot of with teenage drivers. Research shows that teen drivers aged 16-19 are nearly three times more likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers that are 20 years and older. According to DSC attorneys, young drivers are also 20 times more likely to cause accidents due to drunk driving and speeding. High-speed driving increases the chances of a car accident occurring, as it reduces the amount of time a driver has to react to a dangerous system, making it more likely for them to crash.
Driving under the influence: RTMC confirmed that 7 448 people were arrested on South African roads over the festive season (1 December 2024 - 1 January 2025) with drunk driving being one of the leading offences. Eastern Cape recorded 455 arrests for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol in December. The highest breath alcohol level recorded was 2.47mg/1 00ml on the R61 in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, on 27 December 2024. The legal blood alcohol content for drivers is 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. This applies to all motorists regardless of age or driving experience. For professional drivers like taxi operators or truck drivers, the limit is 0.02 grams per 100 millilitres of blood.
Alcohol consumption depresses the central nervous system, leading to delayed reaction time, impaired judgment, and impaired motor skills. This increases the likelihood of fatal accidents, as drivers cannot quickly react to sudden changes in traffic conditions or unexpected events.
A lack of driving experience: Teenagers haven’t been driving as long as the majority of the drivers on the road, so it is understandable that they will be more prone to mistakes. However, if these mistakes aren’t fixed, they can be dangerous. The most common mistakes made by teenage drivers include ignoring traffic signs and signals and overestimating their driving skills and experience. When these are coupled with dangerous driving behaviours such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving without a seatbelt, it increases their likelihood of being involved in a potentially fatal car accident.
While these are risk factors for drivers of all ages, the numbers show that they are more common among teenagers. But there seems to be a potential solution that can help significantly lower these numbers and keep teens safe while they’re on the road. That solution is vehicle tracking.
Vehicle tracking: The key to safer driving for your teenager?
Vehicle tracking refers to the monitoring and tracking of the location, movement, and speed of your vehicle in real time. This is powered by a global positioning system, a technology that works to remotely determine and track the location of a vehicle.
The GPS tracking device, which is a portable unit, collects a vehicle’s location data and transmits it to a central server using cellular or satellite networks. This allows vehicle owners to gain real-time visibility into the location and movement of their vehicles, helping them monitor vehicle behaviour and movement. However, vehicle tracking does more than give you real-time visibility into the location and movement of your vehicle but also helps improve driver safety.
How can vehicle tracking improve driver safety?
Real-time tracking of driver behaviour: Vehicle tracking allows you to monitor how a vehicle is operated, allowing you to pinpoint harsh driving habits such as speeding, harsh braking, and sharp turns, providing actionable data for you to track and address dangerous or distracted driving habits your teen needs to fix.
Driver training: Vehicle tracking helps you spot driving behaviours that can lead to potential accidents. With information on harsh braking, harsh turning, and not adhering to road speed limits, you can quickly spot areas where your teens need to improve and guarantee their safety and your peace of mind.
Quick response in emergencies: In the unfortunate event of an accident, vehicle tracking provides you with real-time data that can help you quickly get assistance, which can help you minimise the severity of the accident and add an extra layer of safety for your teenager.
Turn your teen into a safe driver with Cartrack’s driver safety solutions
Cartrack understands how stressful handing those car keys to your teens can be. But don’t lose sleep just yet, we provide you with solutions that help your teens drive safer and smarter, giving you total peace of mind. These include:
GPS Tracking: Accurately monitor your teen's location and behaviour while they’re behind the wheel with Cartrack’s GPS tracking, giving you unparalleled visibility and control of your vehicle. By keeping track of vehicle activity in real-time using our IoT device, you gain insights into your teen driving, with reports on speeding events, harsh braking and turning, idling, harsh acceleration, and cornering. These help you spot the areas your teens need to improve on to ensure they are driving as safely as possible.
Crash detection: Give your teen the ultimate guardian angel for worst-case scenarios with Cartrack’s crash detection. Our smart device detects crashes by making use of g-force sensors and AI algorithms. This allows us to immediately dispatch emergency services to your vehicle's location and reach out to your emergency contacts to ensure your safety. Even though your teens can improve their driving behaviour and adhere to all the rules of the road, they cannot control the behaviour of other drivers on the road. So in the unfortunate event that an accident occurs while they are behind the wheel, you want to be able to get them help as soon as possible.
CarWatch: Give your vehicle an extra pair of eyes with CarWatch. Activated via our mobile app, this early warning security system alerts you and us when your parked vehicle moves without your knowledge. With this 24/7 protection and an audited recovery rate of over 90%, Cartrack can proactively dispatch an emergency response team of specialised agents to increase the chances of vehicle recovery.
Geofencing: Unlock precise vehicle location control with Cartrack’s geofencing feature, helping you create virtual boundaries around specific areas your vehicles drive in. Geofence various locations, such as your teenager's school or university campus, and receive alerts via SMS or email the moment the vehicle enters or exits these set boundaries, helping you gain increased visibility of your vehicle's activity and teen's driving behaviour, enhancing their safety and security. You can also geofence high-risk areas and receive an alert the moment your teen enters them. These alerts help you quickly call them to check up on them and ensure their safety.
Protector: Give your teens access to 24/7 emergency medical, roadside, and legal assistance with Cartrack’s Protector service. This feature can be accessed at the touch of a button via the Cartrack app, coming to your teen's aid when they need it most, whether they require immediate medical assistance if their vehicle breaks down, or if they need legal advice for a motor-related query.
Extra driver safety tips every teen should know
Encourage your teens to make use of the following Cartrack-endorsed tips in conjunction with our solutions to unlock safe drives.
Maintain a safe following distance: Advise your teens to keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of them, as this gives them more time to react if that driver does something unexpected, such as braking suddenly or making a sudden turn. It is advised that you leave a distance of about 2-3 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you. In adverse conditions and while driving at night, it is advised that you increase this distance to 5-6 seconds.
Avoid distractions: Advise your teens to refrain from using their phones, eating, or drinking while driving, as these actions have been shown to significantly increase the risk of fatal car accidents. Concentrating on the road and keeping all distractions at bay is what can help them ensure safety on the road.
Follow the rules of the road: Obeying traffic signals, stopping at stop signs, and following the speed limit are all essential to preventing accidents caused by negligent or distracted driving.
Always buckle up: Not only is not wearing a seatbelt against the law, but it could be what stands between a minor injury and a fatal car accident. More than 3 out of 4 people who are ejected during a crash die from injuries, so you must always have your seatbelt on.
Keep your vehicles well-maintained: Teach your teens the basics of car maintenance that they can do themselves. This includes regularly checking components such as oil and water and knowing how to change a tyre in case of emergencies. While these may seem mundane, they can keep vehicles functioning properly, which prevents potential accidents.
Unlock the ultimate solution for enhancing teen-driving safety today
Driving is a big milestone for teenagers, signifying their transition into adulthood. But in a country where car accidents are a common occurrence, a little bit of apprehension is understandable. Overcome that apprehension today and gain peace of mind with Cartrack’s solutions, dedicated to keeping your wheels and the teen behind them safe.
Discover shocking teen driving stats as back-to-school season puts your teenager in the driver's seat. Stay informed for safer roads.
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