A new report from a non-profit coalition of highway safety offices shows that rates of fatal traffic collisions of drivers under the age of 21 have fallen dramatically.

The most at-risk demographic is now 38% less likely to be involved in a fatal collision, and 45% less likely to be the victim of a fatal collision according to data gathered from 2002 to 2021.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) still finds young drivers to be the riskiest cohort behind the wheel, but their report lists a number of factors that have helped and can be further improved upon.

When this author was going through driver's re-education after lightly damaging the bumper of a car in front of him within the first 12 months of getting his license, a video was shown in the class consisting of the interior footage of a car involved in a serious collision.

A group of four under 21s was inside, and the video showed a very real scenario, when, one minute they were laughing and chit-chatting, and the next, they were all unconscious having slammed into something during the collision.

"Young drivers are the riskiest age group on the road, and the reasons are straightforward — immaturity and inexperience," Pam Shadel Fischer, author of the GHSA report told the Associated Press. "Many young drivers simply don't have the behind-the-wheel experience to recognize risk and take the appropriate corrective action to prevent a crash."

Education was cited by the GHSA as one of two major factors that have influenced the drop in fatal collisions, particularly when parents were involved. The other one was staggered privileges.

These programs topped the list of effective solutions, and consist of placing limits on driving privileges that phase out as the driver ages. These could involve driving at night, driving on Interstate Highways, or having other passengers in the car.

In Maryland and New Jersey, the report adds, these programs extend even until the driver's 18th and 20th birthdays.

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