A new study has revealed that 22-year-olds are the most at risk on US roads.

Personal injury law specialists John Foy & Associates analyzed 2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to find the number of drivers involved in crashes of different ages and generations. They ranked each generation in terms of drivers involved in crashes per 1 million population, as well as ranking the top five most at-risk individual ages.

The study showed 22-year-old drivers were found to be most at-risk, with 1,382 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2022. 22-year-old drivers were involved in a staggering 294,483 crashes throughout 2022, meaning they have the third highest rate of incidents, behind 19-year-olds (299,376 crashes) and 18-year-olds (295,280 crashes). 22-year old drivers also accounted for 11.19% of all Gen Z drivers in crashes throughout this year.

Additionally, 31-year-olds were found to be the second-most at-risk age on the roads, accounting for 1,338 driver fatalities. Drivers of this age were involved in 234,280 reported crashes throughout 2022.

The third most at-risk age on the roads are 23-year-olds, accounting for 1,312 driver fatalities in 2022 alone. 23-year-old drivers were involved in 265,324 crashes throughout 2022.

And, 24-year-olds are the fourth-most at-risk age group on the roads, with 1,298 driver fatalities throughout 2022, and a massive 261,737 24-year-old drivers being involved in some form of crash.

The fifth-most at-risk age group on America’s roads are 30-year-olds, who accounted for 1,293 driver fatalities throughout 2022. A staggering 232,876 drivers aged 30 years old, were involved in crashes throughout 2022.

These top five most at-risk ages account for 11.02% of all driver fatalities throughout 2022, meaning that just over one in 10 driver deaths on America’s roads were attributed to 22-, 31-, 23-, 24-, or 30-year-olds.

Most at-risk generations of drivers

Millennials take the crown as the most dangerous generation on the roads, with a rate of 50,291 drivers in crashes per 1 million population – working out to a troubling 30.26% of all crashes. Without accounting for population, there were 3,423,414 millennial drivers involved in crashes throughout 2022, with 18,816 of those being fatal. Among millennials (defined as being born between 1981 and 1996), 27-year-olds were found to have the highest amount of drivers involved in crashes, at 247,934 drivers – 7.24% of all crashes involving a Millennial driver.

Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – ranks at second with a rate of 38,221 drivers in crashes per 1 million population – equaling out to just under a quarter (23%) of all crashes. There were 2,631,955 crashes involving Generation Z drivers in total throughout 2022, with 11,490 of those turning out to be fatal. 19-year-olds were the age most at-risk within Generation Z, with 299,376 crashes recorded – 11.37% of all crashes involving a Generation Z driver.

Generation X – those born between 1965 and 1980 – places third on the list, seeing a rate of 36,799 drivers in crashes per 1 million population. As a percentage, Generation X drivers account for 22.15% of all crashes. Of the total 2,444,515 crashes involving a Generation X driver, 13,953 of those were found to be fatal – the second highest of any generation on the list, behind Millennials. 41-year-olds were the most at-risk age within Generation X, with 189,205 crashes – equal to 7.74% of all Generation X crashes.

In fourth place are Baby Boomers, with a rate of 22,509 drivers in crashes per 1 million population. There were found to be 22,509 crashes involving Baby Boomer drivers, with 11,207 of those being fatal. Within the Baby Boomer age bracket (those born 1946 to 1980), 59-year-olds were most likely to be involved in a crash (137,221), which accounts for 8.05% of all Baby Boomer driver crashes.

The Silent Generation takes the final place on the list, with the lowest rate of crashes per 1 million population of any generation. The Silent Generation is defined as those born between 1928 and 1945, and recorded 13,450 drivers in crashes per 1 million population, with just 2,681 of those proving to be fatal. 77-year-olds were the age found to be most at-risk within the Silent Generation, with 41,847 crashes – equivalent to 14.24% of all Silent Generation driver crashes.

Despite not legally being able to drive, there were still 3,552 crashes involving minors under the age of 14, with 43 of those being fatal.

The single highest at-risk age across every generation was found to be 19-year-olds, with a staggering 299,376 19-year-old drivers in crashes, with a worrying 1,215 of those drivers in crashes that proved to be fatal.

However, 22-year-olds were found to be the age with the highest number of fatal accidents, with 1,382 drivers of that age involved in fatal crashes.

“The findings, unfortunately, show a clear trend, with younger drivers seen to be far more at risk on the roads than older drivers. It’s interesting to observe the higher incidence of crashes among Millennials, followed by Generation Z and Generation X, while Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation exhibit relatively lower rates,” said John Foy, of John Foy & Associates “These findings underscore the importance of understanding generational differences in driving behavior and the need for tailored interventions to address road safety concerns effectively.”