Car Accidents And Teenagers


by letengoff - Date: 2010-04-14 - Word Count: 514 Share This!

The statistics about teenage drivers and car accidents are scary. As your teenage driver pulls out of the driveway, there's plenty of reason for parents to worry.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and here you need a good car accident attorney.

Accidents while driving are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the United States, accounting for 36% of all deaths for teens from age 16 to 19. Every single year, over 5,000 teens die due to fatal injuries from car accidents and over 40,000 teens are injured.

Who is at the most risk?
According to estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newly licensed drivers have the highest accident rate.

What's the probability of teen crashes?
Auto Club reported that teens are twice as likely to be in a crash with fatalities or injuries for the number of licensed drivers in their age group.

• For each mile driven, teen drivers (age 16-19) are approximately 4 times more likely to crash than other drivers.
• The first year of driving is the most critical time. Crashes are 10 times more likely during the first 500 miles that a teenager drives than for a new adult driver.

Preventing teen deaths due to car accidents
Safe driving is everyone's responsibility. Good driving habits start early and reduce the risk to the driver, the car, and others on the roadway.

Be a good role model.
Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use, so always wear yours. Why? Because wearing seat belts can reduce the risk by 45 percent of dying in a car crash. It's one of the many behaviors that adults should model for teen drivers. Conversely, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that parents who are involved more often in accidents and get more traffic tickets have teens whose driving behavior is the same.

Set curfews for school nights and weekends.
The risk of a crash goes up dramatically at night-four of every 10 teen auto deaths happen between 9pm and midnight. Over 50 percent of teen driver deaths occur on a weekend.

Support graduated licensing.
Many states have adopted a graduated licensing program, which lengthens the number of hours that a teen driver must practice behind the wheel before applying for a regular license. The programs also limit the number of passengers for drivers under age 17, and may limit the hours of driving.

Talk to your teen.
According to a recent survey, 89% of teens said their parents have the biggest influence on how they drive. Regular communication can reinforce expectations and helps prevent teen-related crashes.

Many organizations recommend that parents set expectations for their teen drivers by creating a driving agreement. Writing down agreements in advance establishes driving as a privilege and spells out the conditions and consequences, rules and responsibilities of driving.

It's especially important that parents, teachers, and the community continue to talk with teen drivers about how to manage the risks involved in everyday driving. Parents should take a good look at whether their teen is really mature enough to drive, and keep an open dialog before, during, and after their driver education and phases of licensing.

Related Tags: personal injury attorney, car accident attorney

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