The Dangerous Mixture of Teen Drivers and Teen Passengers
Driving a car might be a part of our daily lives, but it is not simple feat, even for the adults who use the freeways of America to get from Point A to Point B every day. With an onslaught of oncoming vehicles and a horde of traffic signs, speed signs, and meandering pedestrians, adult drivers have enough stress to deal with, so imagine how tricky the act of driving can become for teenagers.
Given the fact that teenagers are highly inexperienced with driving and have a high level of immaturity, operating a vehicle can prove to be even more dangerous than before. Now, imagine the difficulty of being a teenage driver who has to shuttle two or more teens around town.
For today, let’s take a closer look at the dangerous mixture of teen drivers and teen passengers, and the threat this combination poses to other drivers.
The Risk Factors for Teen Drivers
When you lay the cards on the table and analyze the facts, you will begin to realize why driving is so deadly for young adults under 20 years of age. Overall, car accidents kill more teens than any other types of accidents in the United States, according to a report featured on HG.org. In fact, 16- to 19-year-old men and women face a higher risk of death from operating a vehicle than their 20-year-old counterparts.
Riding with Other Teens
In this case, being in the company of friends is not always the best option for inexperienced, easily distracted teenage drivers. Based on a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, for every teen passenger added to the vehicle, the risk of dying in a motor vehicle crash skyrockets by 51%. Now, consider the fact that this rate drops by 8% for adult drivers transporting adults.
Here is a closer look at the dangers teen drivers face when they add a teen passenger to their cars:
- 56% for other motorists and their passengers
- 45% for the teen driving the vehicle in question
- 17% for people riding bicycles or walking
Add inexperience behind the wheel to the rowdiness of teen drivers, and you have a concoction of disastrous proportions.
How Do We Keep Our Teens Safe?
For parents, guardians, or other family members who care for teens, safety is obviously your number one priority, but how are you supposed to keep your teens safe when they are miles from home? How are you supposed to prevent your son or daughter from becoming one of 292,742 teens who was transported to an ER for medical attention after a crash?
Besides the obvious options like driving school and drunk driving classes, another lifesaving option is graduated driver licensing systems (GDL). This program is more long-term than regular driving school and allows teens to build up experience for plowing across the roadway.
Personal Injury Lawyer in Syracuse, New York
In the blink of an eye, a simple drive down the road or major highway can turn into a fight for your life or the life of your loved one. Without warning, you and those you care about can become victims of deadly motor vehicle accidents and suffer from excruciating injuries, like bone fractures, which can take a long time to heal and mend. As a result, you will have to reap the consequences, which can include hefty medical bills and an overloading cost of vehicle damages. Simply put, no one should have to suffer through these problems, particularly if the accident was triggered by negligence or malicious intentions.
Although this might be difficult, though, you must remain calm. With the assistance of a lawyer who is experienced with personal injury cases, you can gather viable resources to create a strong case in court.
We at Gattuso & Ciotoli, have more than 50 years of combined legal experience and deliver the some of the most high-quality legal services to victims of a wide variety of accidents in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York. We value your perspective on your case and your goals for the future and ready to help you receive the justice you deserve. For more information on our four practice areas or your legal matter, contact us at (315) 314-8000 today.