AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
- Young people account for the majority of car accidents in the United States.
- There are several dangerous behaviors young people exhibit while driving that make them more prone to get into car accidents.
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About 75% of American motorists consider themselves to be better-than-average drivers, which means that at least a quarter of the people out there on the road have a flawed sense of their own abilities.
But overconfidence behind the wheel is more than a matter of ego. Nine out of 10 car crashes are caused by human error - with issues like mechanical failure or unavoidable driving conditions accounting for the rest.
One age group in particular, however, accounts for the majority of auto accidents: young people.
The Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the youngest drivers, those aged 16 and 17, accounted for nearly twice as many accidents as drivers just slightly older, in the 18-to-19-year-old age range. In fact, not until age 30 was there a significant dropoff in accidents, while drivers between 60 and 69 years old were found to be the safest.
And while getting into car wrecks is the worst thing young motorists are doing, it's hardly the only mistake these millennials and Gen Zers are making while behind the wheel.
Here are the worst mistakes young people make when they're driving.