Key Takeaways
- Colorado recorded 249 nighttime teen driving fatalities, with a rate of 13.4 per 100,000 teens aged 15–19.
- Colorado’s nighttime teen fatality rate of 13.4 is more than three times higher than New York’s rate of 4.3, representing a 212% gap between the two states.
- Colorado averaged 49.8 nighttime teen driving fatalities per year from 2020 to 2024 with a teen population of 372,580, with fatalities peaking at 59 in 2023.
Colorado has the 12th highest nighttime teen driving fatality rate in the United States, according to a new 50-state analysis that ranks every state by the rate at which teens aged 15–19 are killed in nighttime driving crashes. With a rate of 13.4 fatalities per 100,000 teen residents, Colorado’s rate is more than three times higher than New York’s (4.3), the safest state in the nation, representing a 212% gap in nighttime teen driving risk.
An analysis by Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers examined nighttime driving fatalities among teens aged 15–19 across all 50 states from 2020 to 2024, using crash data from the NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Average annual nighttime fatalities were calculated and adjusted per 100,000 teen residents to produce a comparable fatality rate for every state.
Top 15 Most Dangerous States for Teen Drivers at Night
States With the Highest Nighttime Teen Driving Fatality Rates
| State | Teen Population (15–19) | Avg Annual Nighttime Fatalities | Rate Per 100K Teen Residents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 68,907 | 15.6 | 22.6 | 1 |
| New Mexico | 142,565 | 26.6 | 18.7 | 2 |
| Mississippi | 217,036 | 37.8 | 17.4 | 3 |
| Delaware | 63,600 | 10.4 | 16.4 | 4 |
| Wyoming | 39,319 | 6.2 | 15.8 | 5 |
| South Carolina | 352,018 | 53.8 | 15.3 | 6 |
| Florida | 1,283,982 | 182.0 | 14.2 | 7 |
| Alabama | 341,759 | 47.8 | 14.0 | 8 |
| Tennessee | 447,844 | 62.4 | 13.9 | 9 |
| Missouri | 408,103 | 56.4 | 13.8 | 10 |
| Arizona | 491,256 | 67.4 | 13.7 | 11 |
| Colorado | 372,580 | 49.8 | 13.4 | 12 |
| Oklahoma | 282,550 | 37.4 | 13.2 | 13 |
| Louisiana | 303,743 | 38.8 | 12.8 | 14 |
| Arkansas | 207,805 | 25.2 | 12.1 | 15 |
Montana leads the nation with a nighttime teen driving fatality rate of 22.6 per 100,000 teen residents, followed by New Mexico at 18.7 and Mississippi at 17.4. Colorado ranks 12th with a rate of 13.4, recording an average of 49.8 nighttime teen fatalities per year. The state falls between Arizona (13.7) and Oklahoma (13.2) in the rankings.
Looking at the study, David Rosen, COO and CSO at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, commented,
“The data paints a concerning picture for Colorado. With the 12th highest nighttime teen driving fatality rate in the country at 13.4 per 100,000, Colorado’s young drivers face risks more than three times higher greater than those in the safest states. Factors like mountain passes, rapidly changing weather conditions, high-altitude driving challenges, limited lighting on rural highways, and fast-growing suburban areas with increasing teen traffic likely contribute, but these numbers point to clear opportunities for intervention. Stronger graduated driver licensing laws, enhanced nighttime driving restrictions for new teen drivers, and targeted investment in road safety infrastructure could make a meaningful difference in protecting Colorado’s youngest drivers after dark.”
Colorado’s Nighttime Teen Driving Fatalities: Year-by-Year Breakdown (2020–2024)
Nighttime Teen Driving Fatalities in Colorado, 2020–2024
| State | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Avg Annual Fatalities | Rate Per 100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 37 | 45 | 56 | 59 | 52 | 49.8 | 13.4 |
Between 2020 and 2024, Colorado recorded a total of 249 nighttime teen driving fatalities, averaging 49.8 per year. Fatalities peaked at 59 in 2023, representing a 59.5% increase from the 37 fatalities recorded in 2020. The count rose to 59 in 2023 before settling at 52 in 2024. With a teen population of 372,580, Colorado’s per capita fatality rate of 13.4 per 100,000 teen residents ranks 12th in the nation, underscoring the significant nighttime driving risk facing the state’s youngest drivers.
Methodology
The study analyzed nighttime driving fatalities among teens aged 15–19 across all 50 states over a five-year period from 2020 to 2024. Fatality data was sourced from the NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) via the Crash Data Analysis Network (CDAN), filtered for nighttime crashes involving teen drivers. State teen population estimates were drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Average annual fatalities were calculated for each state and divided by teen population, then multiplied by 100,000 to produce a per capita rate. States were ranked from highest to lowest rate. The findings are intended to highlight differences in nighttime teen driving safety outcomes across the country.
Data Sources
Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), NHTSA Crash Data Analysis Network (CDAN):
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) Population by Age by State:
https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2024.S0101?q=population+by+age+by+state
Research Dataset:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lZ0HoI3yg2BwJ5HISYopSmZoGxelIdfOHRjlKe0Umaw/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Study By:
https://kuzyklaw.com/bakersfield/bakersfield-personal-injury-lawyers/
About Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers
Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers is a California-based personal injury law firm specializing in intersection accidents and traffic-injury cases. The firm represents victims of negligent driving and unsafe roadway design while using data-driven research to inform public discussion and promote safer transportation systems nationwide.
