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Teen Driver Crash Statistics in Los Angeles (2026 Update)

Teen driver crash statistics for the City of Los Angeles show 1,653 crashes in 2025 with a driver aged 15 to 19. Those crashes killed or injured 1,391 people, and 17 of them died, according to California Highway Patrol records. Officers marked 59.1 percent of teen drivers at fault.

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Updated October 20, 2026

Published by Moe Abdallah Law, P.C., the Los Angeles firm of attorney Mohamad “Moe” Abdallah (California State Bar No. 348886). Our own analysis of official crash records; see the methodology below.

Teen driver crashes in Los Angeles at a glance

  • A driver aged 15 to 19 was in 1,653 crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, about 4.5 a day. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 17 people died in City of Los Angeles crashes that involved a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025, counting every role. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 171 people were killed or seriously injured in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers marked 59.1 percent of drivers aged 15 to 19 at fault in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, against 39.9 percent of drivers aged 20 and older. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Unsafe speed was the main cause officers listed in 740 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, or 44.8 percent. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 19 people aged 15 to 19 died in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, in any role. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 6 drivers aged 15 to 19 died in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles peaked from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in 2025, with 119 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 38.8 percent of City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Sepulveda was the surface street with the most teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, at 53. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers marked a driver aged 15 to 19 at fault in 1,004 City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The City of Los Angeles had 7.4 percent of California's teen-driver crash deaths in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, 2,320 people died in US crashes that involved a teen driver aged 15 to 18 in 2024. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
The numbers at a glance: City of Los Angeles, 2025
MeasureNumberYearSource
Crashes1,6532025CHP CCRS
Crashes with an injury8342025CHP CCRS
Fatal crashes142025CHP CCRS
People killed172025CHP CCRS
People seriously injured1542025CHP CCRS
Killed or seriously injured1712025CHP CCRS
Share of all LA traffic deaths5.1%2025CHP CCRS
People killed in 202462025CHP CCRS
People killed statewide (California, 2025)2292025CHP CCRS

Download every statistic on this page (CSV) One row per stat with its source, link and anchor. Free to reuse with credit.

How many teen driver crashes happen in Los Angeles?

In 2025, California Highway Patrol records show 1,653 City of Los Angeles crashes with a driver aged 15 to 19, about 4.5 a day. That was 5.5 percent of the 29,915 crashes recorded in the city.

  • A driver aged 15 to 19 was in 1,653 crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, about 4.5 a day. The teen did not have to cause the crash. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Crashes with a teen driver were 5.5 percent of the 29,915 crashes recorded in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 1,700 drivers aged 15 to 19 were in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 834 of the City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 injured at least one person. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 14 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 killed at least one person. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 771 of the drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025 were 19 years old, more than any other teen age. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 113 of the drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025 were 16 years old. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • For comparison, 2,868 City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025 involved a driver aged 65 or older. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

Drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes, by age, 2025

Drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes, by age, 202515: 34 drivers; 16: 113 drivers; 17: 254 drivers; 18: 528 drivers; 19: 771 drivers.020040060080015: 34 drivers341516: 113 drivers1131617: 254 drivers2541718: 528 drivers5281819: 771 drivers77119
Data: Drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes, by age, 2025
1516171819
Drivers34113254528771

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Cars stopped after a rear-end collision in Los Angeles

How many people are killed or hurt in Los Angeles teen driver crashes?

Teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles killed 17 people in 2025 and left 154 more with suspected serious injuries. The count includes everyone hurt in the crash, not only the teen.

  • 17 people died in City of Los Angeles crashes that involved a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025, counting everyone killed in any role, not only the teen driver. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 154 people suffered a suspected serious injury in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 485 people had a suspected minor injury in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 735 people had a possible injury or complaint of pain in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 1,391 people were killed or injured in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 171 people were killed or seriously injured in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, which is 12.3 percent of everyone killed or injured in them. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 5.1 percent of the 335 deaths in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025 happened in a crash with a teen driver. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 0.85 percent of City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 were fatal, or 10.3 deaths per 1,000 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The median age of people killed in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 was 19, and 12 of the 17 were under 25. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Males were 61 percent of people killed or injured in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, and 82.4 percent of those killed, counting people whose sex was recorded. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 19 people aged 15 to 19 died in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, in any role, whether or not a teen was driving. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 1,162 people aged 15 to 19 were injured in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, in any role. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

People killed in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, by age group, 2025

People killed in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, by age group, 20250-15: 3 people; 16-24: 9 people; 25-44: 3 people; 45-64: 1 people; 65+: 1 people; unknown: 0 people.0-150-15: 3 people316-2416-24: 9 people925-4425-44: 3 people345-6445-64: 1 people165+65+: 1 people1unknownunknown: 0 people0
Data: People killed in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, by age group, 2025
People
0-153
16-249
25-443
45-641
65+1
unknown0

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

How often are teen drivers at fault in Los Angeles crashes?

Officers marked 1,004 of the 1,700 drivers aged 15 to 19 at fault in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, or 59.1 percent. For drivers aged 20 and older the rate was 39.9 percent.

  • Officers marked 59.1 percent of drivers aged 15 to 19 at fault in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers marked 39.9 percent of drivers aged 20 and older at fault in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • A driver aged 15 to 19 was at fault in 1,004 City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Unsafe speed was the most common main cause in City of Los Angeles crashes where officers marked a driver aged 15 to 19 at fault in 2025, at 484 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers coded 62 drivers aged 15 to 19 as under the influence of alcohol or drugs in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. Crashes with an impaired driver are covered on our drunk driving accident page. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • An at-fault mark in CCRS is the reporting officer's judgment on the crash report, not a ruling by a court or an insurer, and California splits fault under comparative negligence. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

Main cause in City of Los Angeles crashes where a teen driver was marked at fault, 2025

Main cause in City of Los Angeles crashes where a teen driver was marked at fault, 2025unsafe speed: 484 crashes; unsafe turn or lane change: 203 crashes; unsafe lane change (lane straddling): 100 crashes; driving under the influence: 59 crashes; left-turn failure to yield: 32 crashes; running a red light: 23 crashes.unsafe speedunsafe speed: 484 crashes484unsafe turn or lane changeunsafe turn or lane change: 203 crashes203unsafe lane change (lane straddling)unsafe lane change (lane straddling): 100 crashes100driving under the influencedriving under the influence: 59 crashes59left-turn failure to yieldleft-turn failure to yield: 32 crashes32running a red lightrunning a red light: 23 crashes23
Data: Main cause in City of Los Angeles crashes where a teen driver was marked at fault, 2025
Crashes
unsafe speed484
unsafe turn or lane change203
unsafe lane change (lane straddling)100
driving under the influence59
left-turn failure to yield32
running a red light23

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Driver documenting car damage after a crash in Los Angeles

What causes teen driver crashes in Los Angeles?

Officers listed unsafe speed as the main cause in 740 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, or 44.8 percent. The second most common main cause was unsafe turn or lane change, in 291 crashes.

  • Officers listed unsafe speed, under California Vehicle Code 22350, as the main cause in 740 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, or 44.8 percent. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed unsafe turn or lane change, under Vehicle Code 22107, as the main cause in 291 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, or 17.6 percent. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed unsafe lane change (lane straddling), under Vehicle Code 21658, as the main cause in 197 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, or 11.9 percent. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 22350, the "basic speed law", bars driving faster than is reasonable or prudent for weather, visibility, traffic and road conditions. (Cal. Veh. Code 22350, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 22107 bars turning or moving right or left on a roadway until the move can be made with reasonable safety and after a proper signal. (Cal. Veh. Code 22107, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 21658 requires drivers on a road with two or more marked lanes in one direction to stay within a single lane until a lane change can be made with reasonable safety. (Cal. Veh. Code 21658, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 20001 requires a driver in a crash that injures or kills someone else to stop at the scene, and makes leaving a crime. (Cal. Veh. Code 20001, Oct. 2026)
  • In the 14 fatal City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, the most common main cause was unsafe speed, in 5 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers recorded handheld or hands-free phone use for 15 drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. Phone use appears only when an officer notes it, so this count is a floor, not a measure of real use. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 102 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 were felony hit-and-run crashes, where a driver left the scene of a crash that injured or killed someone. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 17.5 percent of City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 involved a hit-and-run of any kind. The count does not mean the teen driver was the one who fled. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, speeding was a factor in 33 percent of the teen drivers aged 15 to 18 in US fatal passenger-vehicle crashes in 2024. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, 51 percent of the teen passenger-vehicle drivers who died in US crashes in 2024 were unbuckled. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, research found that texting while driving raises a teen driver's crash risk by 23 times. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to IIHS, an estimated 20 percent of fatally injured US passenger-vehicle drivers aged 16 and 17 had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher in 2024. (IIHS, Oct. 2026)

Main cause in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, 2025

Main cause in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, 2025unsafe speed: 740 crashes; unsafe turn or lane change: 291 crashes; unsafe lane change (lane straddling): 197 crashes; driving under the influence: 96 crashes; left-turn failure to yield: 68 crashes; running a red light: 39 crashes; stop-sign failure to yield: 22 crashes; failing to yield when entering a road: 18 crashes.unsafe speedunsafe speed: 740 crashes740unsafe turn or lane changeunsafe turn or lane change: 291 crashes291unsafe lane change (lane straddling)unsafe lane change (lane straddling): 197 crashes197driving under the influencedriving under the influence: 96 crashes96left-turn failure to yieldleft-turn failure to yield: 68 crashes68running a red lightrunning a red light: 39 crashes39stop-sign failure to yieldstop-sign failure to yield: 22 crashes22failing to yield when entering a roadfailing to yield when entering a road: 18 crashes18
Data: Main cause in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, 2025
Crashes
unsafe speed740
unsafe turn or lane change291
unsafe lane change (lane straddling)197
driving under the influence96
left-turn failure to yield68
running a red light39
stop-sign failure to yield22
failing to yield when entering a road18

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

When do teen driver crashes happen in Los Angeles?

Teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles peaked from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in 2025, with 119 crashes. 25.4 percent happened between 3:00 and 6:59 p.m.

  • The busiest hour for City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 was 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., with 119 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 25.4 percent of City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 happened between 3:00 and 6:59 p.m. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Sunday was the busiest day for City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, with 267 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • October was the busiest month for City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, with 178 crashes, narrowly ahead of May. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 38.8 percent of City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 50 percent of the 14 fatal City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 50 percent of fatal City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 happened between 9:00 p.m. and 4:59 a.m. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 28.6 percent of fatal City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025 happened on a Saturday or Sunday. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 306 drivers aged 15 to 19 were in City of Los Angeles crashes between 11:00 p.m. and 4:59 a.m. in 2025. Those are the hours California bars for drivers in the first year of a provisional license, but the count includes 18- and 19-year-olds the rule does not cover. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to IIHS, 18 percent of US teen crash deaths in 2024 happened between 9 p.m. and midnight. (IIHS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to the CDC, 44 percent of US teens aged 13 to 19 killed in crashes in 2020 died between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. (CDC, Oct. 2026)

City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes by hour of day, 2025

City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes by hour of day, 202512a.m.: 70 crashes; 1a.m.: 51 crashes; 2a.m.: 43 crashes; 3a.m.: 29 crashes; 4a.m.: 26 crashes; 5a.m.: 21 crashes; 6a.m.: 37 crashes; 7a.m.: 63 crashes; 8a.m.: 70 crashes; 9a.m.: 63 crashes; 10a.m.: 61 crashes; 11a.m.: 69 crashes; 12p.m.: 82 crashes; 1p.m.: 80 crashes; 2p.m.: 64 crashes; 3p.m.: 119 crashes; 4p.m.: 113 crashes; 5p.m.: 90 crashes; 6p.m.: 98 crashes; 7p.m.: 90 crashes; 8p.m.: 81 crashes; 9p.m.: 70 crashes; 10p.m.: 84 crashes; 11p.m.: 79 crashes.05010015012a.m.: 70 crashes12a.m.1a.m.: 51 crashes2a.m.: 43 crashes3a.m.: 29 crashes3a.m.4a.m.: 26 crashes5a.m.: 21 crashes6a.m.: 37 crashes6a.m.7a.m.: 63 crashes8a.m.: 70 crashes9a.m.: 63 crashes9a.m.10a.m.: 61 crashes11a.m.: 69 crashes12p.m.: 82 crashes12p.m.1p.m.: 80 crashes2p.m.: 64 crashes3p.m.: 119 crashes3p.m.4p.m.: 113 crashes5p.m.: 90 crashes6p.m.: 98 crashes6p.m.7p.m.: 90 crashes8p.m.: 81 crashes9p.m.: 70 crashes9p.m.10p.m.: 84 crashes11p.m.: 79 crashes
Data: City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes by hour of day, 2025
12a.m.1a.m.2a.m.3a.m.4a.m.5a.m.6a.m.7a.m.8a.m.9a.m.10a.m.11a.m.12p.m.1p.m.2p.m.3p.m.4p.m.5p.m.6p.m.7p.m.8p.m.9p.m.10p.m.11p.m.
Crashes70514329262137637063616982806411911390989081708479

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Where do teen driver crashes happen in Los Angeles?

Sepulveda had the most teen-driver crashes of any City of Los Angeles surface street in 2025, with 53. For all-crash rankings, see our Los Angeles dangerous streets study.

  • Sepulveda had 53 teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, the most of any surface street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Balboa had 29 teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, the second most of any surface street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Sherman had 26 teen-driver crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, the third most of any surface street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • No City of Los Angeles intersection had more than 2 teen-driver crashes in 2025, counting crashes recorded at the intersection itself, and Saticoy & Wilbur was one of several tied at that count. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Street counts include crashes where the street was the main or cross street, and exclude freeways. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

City of Los Angeles surface streets with the most teen-driver crashes, 2025

City of Los Angeles surface streets with the most teen-driver crashes, 2025Sepulveda: 53 crashes; Balboa: 29 crashes; Sherman: 26 crashes; Vermont: 24 crashes; Figueroa: 23 crashes; Burbank: 21 crashes; Washington: 20 crashes; Riverside: 20 crashes; National: 19 crashes; Victory: 19 crashes.SepulvedaSepulveda: 53 crashes53BalboaBalboa: 29 crashes29ShermanSherman: 26 crashes26VermontVermont: 24 crashes24FigueroaFigueroa: 23 crashes23BurbankBurbank: 21 crashes21WashingtonWashington: 20 crashes20RiversideRiverside: 20 crashes20NationalNational: 19 crashes19VictoryVictory: 19 crashes19
Data: City of Los Angeles surface streets with the most teen-driver crashes, 2025
Crashes
Sepulveda53
Balboa29
Sherman26
Vermont24
Figueroa23
Burbank21
Washington20
Riverside20
National19
Victory19

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Can CHP records show whether teen driver deaths are rising in Los Angeles?

No. CHP's records list at least 17 people killed in City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025. CHP's yearly files are not equally complete, and driver age is blank on more reports in earlier years, so we do not compare years. LAPD's weekly COMPSTAT count has no teen-driver line.

  • 17 people died in City of Los Angeles crashes with a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025, according to CHP records. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • A City of Los Angeles crash counts as a teen-driver crash only when the officer recorded a driver's age as 15 to 19, so a crash with a blank driver age is left out. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Driver age is blank on a larger share of City of Los Angeles crash reports from 2019 through 2024 than from 2025, so CHP counts for earlier years miss more teen-driver crashes and deaths. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • CHP's file is also missing some LAPD crash reports. For Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, it holds 181 of the 220 fatal crashes LAPD counted citywide in 2025, and 171 of the 233 it counted in 2024. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)
  • LAPD's weekly COMPSTAT traffic snapshot counts fatal crashes citywide and for DUI, felony hit-and-run, pedestrian and bicycle crashes, but it has no line for teen drivers, so it cannot show a teen trend either. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)
  • Because of those gaps, this page does not compare City of Los Angeles teen-driver crash or death counts across years, including 2024 to 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, deaths of California drivers aged 16 to 19 rose 14.0 percent, from 114 in 2020 to 130 in 2021. (California OTS, Oct. 2026)

How do Los Angeles teen driver crashes compare with California and the US?

The City of Los Angeles had 7.4 percent of the 229 deaths in California teen-driver crashes in 2025. Federal sources count teen crash deaths differently, by age band and by year.

  • California had 28,478 crashes with a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025, in CHP statewide records. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 229 people died in California crashes that involved a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The City of Los Angeles had 7.4 percent of California's deaths in teen-driver crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Deaths in teen-driver crashes were 6.6 percent of all California crash deaths in 2025, against 5.1 percent in the City of Los Angeles. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, 2,320 people died in US crashes that involved a teen driver aged 15 to 18 in 2024. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to IIHS, drivers aged 16 to 19 have a fatal crash rate per mile driven just over three times that of drivers aged 20 and older. (IIHS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to IIHS, drivers aged 16 to 19 have a fatal crash rate just over three times that of drivers aged 20 and older. (IIHS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to the CDC, about 2,800 US teens aged 13 to 19 died and about 227,000 were injured in crashes in 2020. (CDC, Oct. 2026)

What are California's rules for teen drivers?

California Vehicle Code 12814.6 bars a driver in the first 12 months of a provisional license from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. or carrying passengers under 20. The limits lift when a parent, guardian, licensed driver aged 25 or older or driving instructor rides along, and the law lists school, work, medical and family exceptions.

  • According to the California DMV, a driver licensed before age 18 is a provisional driver for the first year and may not be behind the wheel between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. (California DMV, Oct. 2026)
  • According to the California DMV, provisional drivers under 18 cannot carry passengers under 20 unless a licensed driver aged 25 or older rides along. (California DMV, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 12814.6 sets those limits for the first 12 months of a provisional license unless a parent, guardian, licensed driver aged 25 or older or licensed driving instructor rides along, with exceptions for medical, school, work and family needs. (Cal. Veh. Code 12814.6, Oct. 2026)
  • According to the California DMV, a permit holder under 18 must log 50 hours of supervised practice, including 10 hours at night, before the driving test. (California DMV, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, graduated driver licensing can cut a teen's crash risk by as much as 50 percent. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to NHTSA, novice teen drivers are twice as likely as adults to be in a fatal crash. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to a study analyzed by NHTSA, teen drivers were 2.5 times as likely to take risks with one teen passenger as when driving alone, and three times as likely with several. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)

Methodology: how we counted and what to watch for

Source and pull date. Counts come from the California Highway Patrol's California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published on data.ca.gov. We counted every 2025 crash row with City Name = Los Angeles in our Oct. 12, 2026 pull, the same set as our main Los Angeles statistics page (29,915 crashes, 335 deaths). Rows include freeways inside city limits.

Definition. A teen-driver crash is a crash with a party whose type is Driver and whose stated age is 15 to 19. The teen did not have to cause it. People killed or injured count every role in those crashes, using the victim injury level in CCRS. At-fault counts use the officer's at-fault mark for each driver.

What CCRS cannot tell us. This page does not use license status or the teen's passengers, and crash records do not include miles driven, so we cannot give per-mile or per-licensed-teen rates. Phone use is rarely recorded, so we do not estimate how many crashes it caused. Deaths are small numbers, so we give counts, not percent changes.

Missing ages, trends and the 2019 to 2021 caveat. A crash counts here only when the officer recorded a driver's age as 15 to 19. Driver age is blank on a larger share of City of Los Angeles crash reports from 2019 to 2024 than from 2025, and on some 2025 reports too, so every count on this page is a floor. For that reason we do not compare teen-driver crashes or deaths across years. LAPD also changed its records system around 2021, so crash and injury counts before 2022 are not comparable. This page uses no 2026 data. Statewide figures use CCRS rows for all of California from a separate pull on Oct. 16, 2026.

CHP's file is less complete than LAPD's own count. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, LAPD's COMPSTAT traffic snapshot (week ending Oct. 3, 2026) counted 220 fatal crashes citywide in 2025 and 233 in 2024, but CHP's file holds only 181 and 171 of them, and how much is missing differs by year. LAPD's snapshot has no teen-driver line. So this page reports 2025 figures as published and does not compare years.

Federal and CHP counts differ. NHTSA counts teen drivers as ages 15 to 18, IIHS counts teens as ages 13 to 19 or drivers 16 to 19, and the CDC counts ages 13 to 19. CCRS uses drivers aged 15 to 19. We name the publisher and year in every outside figure and never combine them with CHP counts.

This page gives information from public records and is not legal advice. Each outside statistic links to its publisher in the sources list.

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Frequently Asked Questions

California Highway Patrol records list 1,653 City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025 that involved a driver aged 15 to 19, about 4.5 a day. That is 5.5 percent of the 29,915 crashes in the city. The teen did not have to cause the crash to be counted.

17 people died in City of Los Angeles crashes that involved a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025, according to CHP records. The count includes everyone killed in those crashes, in any role, not only the teen. Another 154 people had suspected serious injuries, so 171 were killed or seriously hurt in total.

Officers marked 59.1 percent of drivers aged 15 to 19 at fault in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, according to CHP records. For drivers aged 20 and older the rate was 39.9 percent. An at-fault mark is the officer's finding at the scene, not a legal ruling.

Unsafe speed was the main cause officers listed in 740 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, or 44.8 percent, under California Vehicle Code 22350. Unsafe turns or lane changes came second, at 291 crashes. CHP records rarely capture phone use, so they cannot rank it as a cause.

The busiest hour was 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in 2025, with 119 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes, according to CHP records. 25.4 percent of these crashes happened between 3:00 and 6:59 p.m. Fatal crashes skewed to night, with 50 percent between 9:00 p.m. and 4:59 a.m.

Sepulveda had the most teen-driver crashes of any City of Los Angeles surface street in 2025, with 53, according to CHP records. Balboa had 29 and Sherman had 26. Counts include crashes where the street was the main or cross street, and exclude freeways.

CHP records cannot answer that reliably. They list 17 people killed in City of Los Angeles crashes with a driver aged 15 to 19 in 2025. CHP's yearly files are not equally complete, and driver age is blank on more reports in earlier years. LAPD's weekly COMPSTAT count has no teen-driver line. So we do not compare years.

California Vehicle Code 12814.6 bars a driver in the first 12 months of a provisional license from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless a parent, guardian, licensed driver aged 25 or older or driving instructor rides along. The law has exceptions for school, work, medical and family needs. CHP records show 306 drivers aged 15 to 19 in City of Los Angeles crashes during those hours in 2025.

According to IIHS, 2,899 US teenagers aged 13 to 19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2024. According to NHTSA, 2,320 people died in US crashes that involved a teen driver aged 15 to 18 in 2024. The two counts differ because they use different age groups and definitions.

No. CHP records show 1,653 City of Los Angeles teen-driver crashes in 2025, but crash records do not include miles driven or how many licensed teens live in the city, and this page does not use license status. A fair per-driver rate needs that data. We report counts and shares of all crashes instead.

If you or someone you know was hurt in a crash like these, you can read how a car accident lawyer in Los Angeles can help with your claim.

Car Accident help near you: Altadena, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Canoga Park, Carson, Chatsworth, Compton, Culver City, Downey, El Monte, Encino, Glendale, Hollywood, Inglewood, Koreatown, Long Beach, North Hollywood, Northridge, Pasadena, Reseda, San Pedro, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Torrance, Van Nuys, Venice, West Hollywood, Westchester, Whittier, Wilmington, Woodland Hills.

Sources

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