THE EFFECT OF TEENAGE PASSENGERS ON THE FATAL CRASH RISK OF TEENAGE DRIVERS

Fatal crash-involved drivers of passenger vehicles were identified in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 1990 through 199 5. Each driver was categorized as being alone in the vehicle at the ti me of the crash or with one or more passengers. Drivers at fault or re sponsible for crash occurrence were defined as all drivers involved in a single-vehicle crash, or drivers in multiple-vehicle crashes who we re coded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System as committing one o r more driver errors. The results indicated that passenger presence wa s associated with proportionately more at-fault fatal crashes for driv ers aged 24 and younger, were a neutral factor for drivers aged 25-29, and were associated with fewer at-fault involvements for drivers aged 30 and older. Relative risk of fatal crash involvement was particular ly high for teenage drivers traveling. day or night, with two or more teenage passengers. Additional research is needed to determine how the added risk associated with teenage passengers riding with teenage dri vers can be reduced or eliminated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.