The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states car crashes are the leading cause of deaths for U.S. teens, and a new study shows older cars may be a risk factor.

The study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined national fatal crash data from 2016 to 2021 and looked at vehicle age, driver assistance technologies of the cars driven by teen and middle-age drivers, as well as their associations with driver deaths during fatal crashes.

The researchers found that teens driving vehicles that were six to 15 years old had a 19% greater risk of death in fatal crashes, and driving vehicles older than 15 years old had a 31% risk. Both were compared to driving vehicles five years old or newer, no matter the age of the driver.

“Because every family wants their teen to arrive anywhere safely, teen driver fatalities are a serious public health concern,” said Jingzhen Ginger Yang, lead author of the study and principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. “Given teen drivers’ high crash rates compared to other age groups and their increasing involvement in fatal crashes, it is crucial for teen drivers to operate the safest vehicles available.”

The study shows that drivers who were 15 to 18 years old were more likely than drivers who were 31 to 55 to drive cars older than 15 years and cars with fewer driver assistance technologies at the time of fatal crashes.

“Our findings, along with those from other studies, underscore the importance of safe vehicle strategies, education for families and ensuring teens drive safer cars whenever possible,” said Fangda Zhang, research scientist in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's and co-lead author of the study. “Parents commonly pass their old vehicles to their teens who are still learning basic driving skills. While it is an exciting milestone for families with new drivers, this practice increases teens’ vulnerability to vehicle malfunctions, making their driving less safe.”

Based on the study’s findings, the authors gave these recommendations:

• Parents should prioritize safety features when choosing cars for teens and avoid cars older than 15 years old
• Parents are encouraged to check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list of affordable, safe cars for teens
• Pediatricians and health care providers should work to educate families about benefits of new car tech
• Outside of car selection, safe driving habits should always be taught