From TikTok to FaceTime, John Wayne to Dwayne Johnson, the generational gap between Gen Z and Baby Boomers continues to grow as technology adapts rapidly.
While getting your license at one point was a right of passage for young people, recent studies reveal that young people are getting their license at lower rates than generations before. Research identifies that only 25% of 16-year-olds have their driver’s license, thanks partly to the increased ability to rideshare or use public transportation.
Despite fewer young people obtaining licenses, more drivers are on the road than ever. As a result, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated a 10.5% increase in auto accident fatalities from 2020 to 2021.
With the increase in traffic accidents and generational divide in license acquisitions, our team of expert auto accident lawyers asks: Which age group has the worst drivers?
To find out, we considered the following:
- Number of Car Accidents by Age Group
- Number of Fatal Car Accidents by Age Group
- Dangerous Driving Behaviors by Age Group
- Speeding Drivers in Fatal Crash by Age Group
- BAC in Drivers in Fatal Crashes by Age Group
Here’s what we found.
Worst Drivers by Age Group
Worst Drivers
Although car technology makes vehicles safer, fatal accidents continue to rise nationwide. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the two most common causes of car accidents are speeding and distracted driving.
Based on the data, millennials are the worst drivers in America. People between the ages of 25 and 34* (as of 2021) accounted for the most car accidents, most fatal car accidents, and the second highest percentage of distracted drivers.
The next age group for the worst drivers in America bridges the gap between Millennials and Gen Xers. People between the ages of 35-44* rank second in our study of the worst drivers by age group and this group is attributed with the second most alcohol-related speeding crashes.
Drivers between the ages of 25 and 44* account for more than 70 million licensed drivers on the road.
Here is the complete breakdown of the worst drivers by age group:
Best Drivers
Surprisingly enough, the best drivers in America might also be the most generationally divided. Baby Boomers between the ages of 63 and 72* are the best drivers, with the fewest car accidents and fewest instances of distracted driving. With over 31 million drivers on the road, baby boomers are some of the safest drivers.
The second-best generation of drivers is Gen Zers and borderline early Millennials. Licensed drivers between 16 and 18* are some of the safest on the road, with the fewest fatal car accidents and the second lowest percentage of car accidents. Despite that, Gen Zers tend to be more distractable and likely to speed.
Rounding out the top three are drivers between the ages of 55 to 64*, representing the beginning of Gen X and the tail end of the Baby Boomers.
Findings
These findings conclude that millennials between the ages of 25 and 44* tend to be worse drivers than their younger (and older) counterparts. They average around 34 car accidents per 100,000 drivers, whereas baby boomers average just 14 per 100,000. Gen Zers average a much higher rate at 44 car accidents per 100,000 drivers, but this correlates to only a 6% chance of a car accident.
One encouraging piece of information is that the percentage of accidents involving speeding drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 while under the influence of alcohol is one of the lowest at 20%. Once drivers reach the drinking age, there’s an immediate increase to 40%.
*Note, ages in the text are in relation to date of the data (2021)
Methodology
Number of Licensed drivers: Data gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2020 Injury Fact Report
Number of crashes by age of driver per 100,000: Data gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2020 Injury Fact Report
Number of fatal car accidents by age of driver per 100,000: Data gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2020 Injury Fact Report
Dangerous Driving Behaviors by Age Group: U.S. Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Facts Report for 2020
Speeding Drivers in Fatal Crash by Age Group: U.S. Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Facts Report for 2020
Speeding Drivers in Fatal Crash by BAC and Age Group: U.S. Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Facts Report for 2020
To rank drivers by age from worst to best drivers, we found each age group’s average ranking across all six metrics to create a final score from 0-100. The age group with the highest average ranking received a score of 100, while the age group with the lowest average ranking received a score of 0.
