Teens can be Dangerous Behind the Wheel
It may surprise some to learn that one of the leading causes of death for teens in this country is vehicle collisions. The most tragic part of this is the fact that so many of these crashes are completely avoidable.
The Numbers
Appallingly, nearly 3,000 teenagers died and over 225,000 were hospitalized with serious injuries due to motor vehicle collisions in 2020 alone. To break it down into numbers that are more relatable, roughly eight fatalities and hundreds of injuries occurred every single day. The cost in dollars topped $40 billion; the cost in heartache is incalculable.
What We Know
A careful analysis reveals that teens aged 16-19 are involved in nearly three times as many fatal crashes as drivers aged 20+ per mile they drive. And the death rate for young men in this age group is triple the rate for young women. What increases the danger? The risk of a serious accident increases with every additional teen passenger in a vehicle. Timing is a factor, as well, with half of all teen accidents occurring on weekends, and four in ten occurring after 9:00 pm.
What Makes Teen Driving so Precarious?
A number of factors play into the potential for teen driving accidents, including:
- The lack of experience: Teens are less likely to understand dangerous circumstances and are more likely to make critical mistakes when behind the wheel.
- Weekend and Night Driving: While everyone is at greater risk of an accident after dark, the danger is greater for teens, who may not be as familiar with areas and who make more errors.
- Inconsistent seat-belt use: Over half of all teens killed in motor vehicle accidents were not wearing a seat-belt, and over 40 percent report they don’t always wear one when riding as a passenger, and the rate of teens who consistently belt up when in the front seat is considerably lower than the rate of adults age 25+.
- Distractions: Four in ten high-schoolers report having emailed or texted while behind the wheel at least once in the past month.
- Speeding: About one-third of teen males and one-fifth of teen females involved in fatal collisions were speeding at the time of the crash.
- Alcohol consumption: Just under one-third of young drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents had been driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Marijuana Use: 13 percent of high school students report driving after using marijuana, despite a risk of slowed reaction times and poor judgment.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Have you or a loved one been injured or killed by a teen driver? If negligence or recklessness was a factor, you may be entitled to significant damages. At Salazar & Kelly Law Group our experienced Kissimmee car accident attorneys can help. Schedule a confidential consultation in our Kissimmee office today!
Source:
cdc.gov/transportationsafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html
