Car insurance rates for teenage drivers are more expensive for one simple reason: teenage drivers have more wrecks than other drivers.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that teen drivers have more crashes than drivers in any other age group; and, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While teenage drivers make up only 7 percent of motor vehicle operators, they account for about 14 percent of traffic-related deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that nearly one-third of all fatal crashes in 2004 involved a teenage driver.

In addition to the costs of lives, teenage driving also carries a hefty price tag in car insurance, property damage, and medical bills. According to the American Automobile Association, teenagers' car crashes cost more than $34 billion in 2008.

Driving error, speeding, and passenger distraction are more often factors in crashes involving teenagers.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that driver error was a factor in 77 percent of fatal crashes involving teenagers in 2007. This compares to driver error being a factor in 57 percent of crashes among drivers ages 20 to 49 in the same year.

Teenage drivers are also more likely to be involved in fatal crashes in which their vehicle is the only one in the crash. According to the Insurance Institute, these kinds of crashes usually involve the driver traveling at a high rate of speed and losing control of the vehicle.

In 2007, 49 percent of fatal crashes involving teens were single-vehicle wrecks. This compares to 42 percent among drivers in the ages 20 to 49 bracket.

Teens are also more likely to become distracted while driving. A 2005 survey found that among drivers ages 15 to 17, 56 percent said they used their cell phones while driving and 47 percent said they sometimes allowed their passengers to distract them when they were driving.

The risk of crashing increases for teenage drivers after dark with teens being nearly twice more likely to have a fatal crash at night than during the day.

Teenage drivers are also less likely to wear their seat belts, and a high percentage of those who die in crashes are not buckled up.

Among teenage drivers, the first year of driving is often the most dangerous. Statistics show that 16-year-old drivers have even more crashes than other teenagers.

Car insurance rates are often most expensive during this first year of being on the road. As the teen gains driving experience and establishes a good driving record, car insurance rates are generally reduced.