A new report shows that deaths of younger teen drivers nationally increased sharply in the first six months of last year, reversing a decade-long trend.

In Georgia, however, fewer teens died during the time period. There were five deaths among 16- and 17-year-old drivers in the state during the first six months of 2012. That’s down from six deaths during the first half of 2011.

In Floyd County, only one death of a 16- or 17-year-old teen has been reported since 2011, and the teen driver was not at fault.

Thomas Allen Goodson Jr., 16, died on Feb. 11, 2011, when a truck driven by Thomas Gary Doss, 65, of Rome, crossed into the turn lane and struck Goodson’s Toyota Camry.

Doss pleaded guilty to first-degree vehicular homicide in March 2012 and was sentenced to 15 years, with two years to serve behind bars. Police said he had prescription drugs in his system.

The report on teen fatalities was released Tuesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The new report, the first state-by-state look at teen driver fatalities in 2012, was completed by Allan Williams, a researcher who formerly served as chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, according to a GHSA news release.

Nationally, there were 107 drivers aged 16 who died between January and June of last year, compared to 86 drivers during the first half of 2011. Twenty-five states reported increases, 17 had decreases, and eight states and the District of Columbia reported no change in the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths.