The Worst Time for Teen Accidents Is When School Is Out
Teenage driving has the highest accident rate of any age group, and teen accidents are the nation’s leading cause of death for teenagers. Teenage drivers are youth between the ages of 16 to 19.
Teenage Driving Statistics
Teenage drivers are three times more at risk for dying in a vehicle crash than drivers who are 20 or older.
According the (CDC) Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, six teenagers died every day due to motor vehicle crashes. A total of 2,433 teens were killed. Teenagers represented 6.5 percent of the population in 2016, but the expenses they accumulated for vehicle crashes were 8.4 percent of the national total.
It stands to reason that during the summer, when warmer weather arrives and more people are on the road, so are teenagers. When school is out, teens have more free time and drive more often.
What Are Biggest Risks?
Male teens are twice as likely as females to die in a vehicle crash. When teens ride with a teenage driver and are unsupervised, the crash risk increases. In fact, the risk is proportionate to the number of teens in the car. The more teen passengers there are, the greater the risk.
New drivers who have just gotten their licenses are the most at risk of all. Also, younger teens at the age of 16 or 17 are at greater risk for a fatal crash than teens at the ages of 18 and 19.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Teenage Driver?
Limiting exposure to the main causes of teen accidents can reduce accident risks. The greatest accident factor is driving inexperience, and the second is driving with other teen passengers.
Additional factors include:
- Nighttime driving
- Not wearing seat belts
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
- Drowsy driving
- Driving under the influence
As much as possible, keep your teenager off the road at night and insist that seat belts are used. Seat belts can reduce serious accident injuries and fatalities by 50 percent. An estimated 48 percent of the teens that died in 2016 were not using seat belts during the crash.
If you are injured in a crash that involved a teenage driver, you should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer. There is no cost for the initial consultation, and there are no out of pocket expenses. If the attorney recovers compensation on your behalf, the fee is a percentage of the recovery.