Youth Deaths on Colorado Roads is on the Rise

Most remember being a teenager and being excited to finally get their driver's license. Odds are high that you were counting down the days until your test. Perhaps you were a little nervous, but you were excited to finally have the freedom to drive without your parents yelling at you, giving you instructions, and making you nervous. You were excited to think of road trips with your friends, going out on Friday and Saturday night with them, and being able to go get food or to your friends' houses without needing a ride. The number of youth deaths on the road in Colorado has been on the rise, and the numbers are a bit concerning. 

Youth Driver Fatalities in Colorado

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Teenagers behind the wheel can be a dangerous thing. Some are responsible and extremely safe, but there are plenty that are reckless, distracted, and still learning how to navigate driving on the interstate, in town, or on country roads. Sadly, far too many youth drivers are involved in wrecks on the road, and unfortunately, some of these wrecks lead to fatalities, and these young lives are lost on the road. A recent study presented by The Denver Post found that the number of youth fatalities by young drivers over the last decade has almost doubled. Back in 2015, there were 45 youth driver fatalities in Colorado, but in 2025, that number was almost doubled to 86. This is an alarming trend, and it is scary to think of what this number could be in the next decade. 

Youth Drivers in Colorado

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What is causing these youth drivers to be in these fatal crashes? The most common reasons are what you would expect: distracted driving, likely being on cell phones or playing around in the car, speeding, lane violations, and following other drivers too closely. These are common mistakes that many youth drivers make, and are ones we likely made as teens as well. With cell phones, there are more distractions than ever before for young drivers, and many are so obsessed with social media that they are unable to put it away when driving. For parents, it makes it scary to let their new drivers take the car on Friday or Saturday night, not knowing if they will come back home. 

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If you have a young driver in the home, make sure to show them this story and the stats to let them know that it can happen to them, and to be patient behind the wheel, put their phone away, and obey the rules of the road. For more on youth driver fatalities in Colorado, make sure to click the link in the second paragraph above.