Why This Work Is Urgent
Every number on this page comes from a peer-reviewed study, a federal database, or a state government report. None of it is embellished. It doesn't need to be.
Thousands of teens enter adulthood alone every year.
When a young person ages out of foster care, the system that housed and supervised them closes the door. There is no transition plan, no parent to call, and no safety net. The outcomes below are not outliers. They are the norm.
These are Georgia's foster youth outcomes.
Data from the 2025 Georgia Senate Study Committee on Transition Age Youth. These numbers represent real young people in our own communities, without the foundation to navigate adulthood on their own.
of former Georgia foster youth are incarcerated
are unemployed after aging out
lack stable housing
complete college, vs. 1 in 3 Georgians overall
Source: Georgia Senate Study Committee on Transition Age Youth, Final Report 2025
Teen driving is already the most dangerous thing most young people will ever do.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teenagers. Not accidents involving strangers. Crashes where the teenager is behind the wheel.
The reason is well understood: teens lack experience. Their crash risk is highest in the first months of solo driving and drops sharply as they accumulate hours behind the wheel. Experience is not optional — it is the intervention.
Most teens get that experience through years of supervised practice with a parent. They borrow the family car. They practice in parking lots. They log dozens of hours before they ever drive alone. For foster youth, that pathway often does not exist.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for young drivers in the U.S.
Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA); CDC Transportation Safety
Teen drivers 16–19 have crash rates nearly 4 times those of drivers 20 and older per mile driven
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
Crash rates are 6 times higher than adults during the first year of independent driving, peaking in the first 3 months of licensure
Gershon et al. (2018), Journal of Adolescent Health; Braitman et al. (2008), Journal of Safety Research
Decline in teenage crash deaths since 1996 following implementation of Graduated Driver Licensing programs
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
Lower fatal crash rate among 15–17 year-olds when minimum licensing age increased from 16 to 17
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
Foster youth face the most dangerous years of driving without a single adult in their corner.
The research on Graduated Driver Licensing programs is clear: teens who log more supervised hours before driving solo have significantly fewer crashes. A Cochrane systematic review of 34 studies found that GDL programs achieve 15.5% reduction in overall crashes and 21% reduction in injury crashes, with variation depending on specific program components (learner restrictions, nighttime curfews, passenger limits).
Those supervised hours require an adult with a car, time, patience, and a willingness to sit in the passenger seat dozens of times. For most teens, that adult is a parent. For foster youth, there is often no one. They age out without a license, without experience, and without the mobility that independent adulthood requires.
Without a license, getting to a job interview is harder. Getting to work is harder. Getting to a healthcare appointment, a training program, or a grocery store is harder. The absence of driving experience compounds every other challenge these young people face.
OnRamp's Get Behind the Wheel program exists specifically to fill this gap — providing the supervised driving experience, mentorship, and practice hours that make the difference between a safe driver and a statistic.
Sources & Citations
All statistics on this page are cited below. We do not embellish data. If you have questions about any figure, please contact us.
FY2024: 15,379 youth exited foster care through emancipation (aging out), representing 9% of all exits.
Georgia-specific outcomes including housing, incarceration, unemployment, and education data for foster youth.
25% of youth who age out of foster care will experience homelessness within 4 years.
High school graduation and college completion comparisons between foster youth and general population.
Young drivers are nearly 4 times more likely to be involved in a fatal traffic crash than older counterparts. Fatal crashes involving young drivers decreased 5.1% from 2023 to 2024, with deaths falling about 45% between 2002 and 2021.
Teen drivers 16-19 have crash rates nearly 4 times those of drivers 20 and older per mile driven.
Gershon et al. found crash/near-crash rates particularly elevated the first 3 months of licensure with rates six times higher than adults in the first year. Braitman et al. confirmed the initial months of licensure are especially hazardous for teenagers.
Since 1996, teenage crash deaths declined by 48% (from 5,819 to 3,048) following introduction of three-stage Graduated Driver Licensing programs.
Raising the minimum licensing age from 16 to 17 produces a 13% lower fatal crash rate among 15-17 year-olds.
Meta-analysis of 34 studies across U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Found median 15.5% reduction for overall crashes and 21% reduction for injury crashes among 16-year-olds. Effectiveness varies by GDL component (learner restrictions, nighttime curfews, passenger limits).
The data makes the case. You can be the solution.
Every supervised driving session we provide is a direct investment in a safer driver and a young person with more options. Help us do more of this work.