VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A new study is revealing the cities where younger drivers (ages 15-20) are most likely to be involved in fatal car accidents. A Hampton Roads city has been listed in the top 10.
The research was conducted by a team at Bader Scott, an injury law firm, and analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on drivers involved in fatal crashes between 2017 and 2021.
The team then calculated the percentage of fatal accidents in each state involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 to find the most dangerous cities for young drivers.
Virginia Beach came in 7th on the list. According to the data, Virginia Beach saw 134 fatal accidents within the time period with 52.24% of those crashes involving teen drivers.
"On a national scale, the study reveals a concerning trend: drivers in the 15-20 age group are overrepresented in fatal car crashes," explained Bader Scott spokesperson Seth Bader. "Of the 29,094 fatal crashes recorded over five years, 12,789 (44%) involved younger drivers. This statistic highlights the recklessness often associated with younger drivers."
The most dangerous city for young drivers, according to the study, was Denver, Colorado. Of the 277 deadly crashes in Colorado's capital, 156 involved younger drivers. That's 56.32% of all fatal crashes during the time period.
Arlington, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska came in second and third on the list.
Here is a breakdown of the study's top ten most dangerous cities for young drivers:
| 1 | Denver, CO | 277 fatal crashes | 56.32 % involving drivers 15-20 |
| 2 | Arlington, TX | 161 fatal crashes | 54.04% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 3 | Omaha, NE | 165 fatal crashes | 53.94% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 4 | Columbus, GA | 101fatal crashes | 53.47% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 5 | Birmingham, AL | 204 fatal crashes | 53.43% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 6 | Springfield, MO | 104 fatal crashes | 52.88% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 7 | Virginia Beach, VA | 134 fatal crashes | 52.24% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | 309 fatal crashes | 52.10% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | 480 fatal crashes | 51.67% involving drivers 15-20 |
| 10 | Tulsa, OK | 258 fatal crashes | 51.16% involving drivers 15-20 |
