Teen Driving Accidents

Most teens in the US are eager to start their driving training and get their license. The minimum driving age with an unrestricted license in the United States is around 16-17 years old. This age usually coincides with big challenges specific to that age. Driving is most certainly influenced by the way teens socialize and spend their time.

Because this age group has such specific characteristics, it’s important to know what are the most common mistakes made by teen drivers and how to avoid them.

Forgetting the Rules of the Road

Because the rules are so fresh in their mind, teen drivers might have trouble remembering them. Rules are meant to make everybody on the road predictable to others and avoid collisions. Teens should make a habit out of recapping the rules of the road, making them more embedded in their minds.

Not Taking Proper Care of Their Car

Proper car maintenance is very important in minimizing accident risks. Teens are known to neglect car maintenance, because of forgetfulness, lack of money or other reasons. Adults should double-check if their teens are taking care of their car, and intervene when necessary.

Risk-taking

One of the age-specific mistakes teens make is to take risks that are too high. Risk-taking and impulsiveness are part of teenage behavior, which is why driving schools and parents should insist on explaining consequences and giving teens other ways of manifesting their impulses.

Drowsy Driving

Studying late, attending social events or just being a teen can make sleeping difficult. Sleep problems are common in teens, and their daily activities are not always scheduled to fit their delayed sleep. Because of this, many teens are tempted or forced to drive when tired, which increases the risk of accidents.

Speeding

One way teens manifest their love for the thrill is by driving fast. Sometimes, teens are given powerful cars that should be driven by more experienced persons. This can easily result in speeding. Combined with the lack of experience and the low reaction speed of beginner drivers, it can be deadly.

Using Their Mobile Devices While Driving

Teens use smartphones a lot to communicating and engaging with each other. Unfortunately, they are tempted to do so while driving. There are plenty of road safety apps that can limit the functions on mobile devices while the car is moving.

Having a Lot of Passengers at Once

Driving around with their friends is part of the fun of having a car. But having too many passengers in the car can be a major distraction for the driver, and can limit visibility for them. Teens should be firm in setting some rules when it comes to their car and how many passengers they have at once.

Driving is, indeed, a big milestone for any individual. To prevent fatal crashes and severe injuries, teens should be educated about the risks involved in driving a car, and what to do to minimize them.

If you or a loved one has been in a car accident, then the at-fault driver is responsible for paying compensation. Get in touch with a St. Louis car accident lawyer and let them review your case.

Here are seven reasons teen car accidents are so common and what parents can do to prevent these accidents.

Something you may have heard before is that car crashes are among the top killers of teens. What you might not know is why that statistic is accurate.

Good Health

First, let’s get the non-driving reason out of the way. It is the fact that most teens do not have fatal health issues like heart disease or cancer. On the other end of the spectrum, they are also rarely at risk of passing away due to congenital disabilities. The result is a population that is in relatively good health and most often suffers from accidents, rather than disease.

Lack of Experience

Every hour you drive gives you a little bit more skill and experience. After a few years of doing so, you should have the ability to stay safe on the roads and evade hazards when needed. Unfortunately, teens usually don’t have much experience, and they get into dangerous situations as a result.

Recklessness

Research suggests that the brain doesn’t stop developing until a person’s mid-twenties. Perhaps not surprisingly, the last area to mature is the one that governs critical thinking. Simply put, teens tend to be reckless, and their behavior behind the wheel often reflects that.

Seat Belts

Teens often wear their seat belts less than adults, which increases their chances of fatality in a severe crash. While the reason why isn’t entirely clear, the most likely explanation is a reckless mindset. One thing you can do to raise your children’s chances of wearing a belt is wearing yours throughout their childhood. They will most likely model their behavior after you.

Peer Pressure

As reckless as teens can be, they are often reasonable when alone. When they get in a car with friends, though, that can change. Peer pressure makes them more likely to drive intoxicated, go too fast, and be unsafe in a variety of other ways.

Distraction

Anyone who is a parent to a teen knows that much of this population can’t go a few minutes without looking at their cell phones. That same habit often follows kids onto the roads, and they choose to text and drive as a result. Not only is this action illegal, but it could lead to an accident.

Intoxication

Lastly, teens frequently get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Combining their lack of experience with intoxication can lead to dire results, and it often does. Additionally, for those under 21, driving drunk will likely have legal consequences on top of the damage a collision will cause.

Inexperience and a desire to seek excitement are two contributing factors that often lead to an auto accident involving a teenage driver.

There is much excitement driving your first car, owning your first car, going on road trips with friends, and going on romantic drives. These are just some of the things teenagers look forward to in their cars. While this excitement feels great, it can also be a cause of on-road accidents among teenagers. According to a research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drivers aged 16 to 20 are at elevated risk of being in car accidents.

Inexperience is not the only factor contributing to the increasing number of car accidents involving teenage and young adults. A major contributing factor is the fact that teenagers seek out excitement. This is a fact with a scientific explanation.

A study conducted by Temple University involving more than 5,000 individuals across 11 countries has shown that drivers ages 16 to 20 are wired to seek out excitement and engage in risky behavior. The study points out that the brain’s self-regulation does not reach maturity until the mid-twenties, whereas the peak age of desiring risk and excitement is 19 years. While the self-regulatory ability of the brain is still developing, a teenager’s ability to regulate and mitigate risky behavior is still nascent, often leading to behaviors that can be detrimental and devastating.

Liability in car accidents involving teen drivers

First, one should understand that it is essential for everyone, including teens to have minimum insurance coverage for car accidents. The minimum figures according to Missouri law are –

• $25,000 per person coverage
• $50,000 per collision for bodily injury
• $10,000 for property damage

When a teenager is at fault in a car accident, determining liability is a little different from normal cases. If the vehicle is owned by a parent or a guardian, the parent or guardian can face liability under negligent entrustment called the “family car doctrine”.

If the teenager was driving a friend’s car the owner of the vehicle becomes liable under ‘owners liability’ or ‘vicarious liability’. In this case the accident victim can place liability charges on both the owner of the vehicle as well as the teenage driver.

If the teen is uninsured, the accident victim has the same trouble as they would have if the at-fault driver was an adult driver without insurance coverage. In such a situation uninsured and underinsured coverage may come to the rescue. In cases where the coverage amount is insufficient and the victim cannot sustain the high costs of medical bills, loss of wages, and the costs of damages caused, the accident victim may be able to hold the parents, guardian, the vehicle owner, and even the at-fault teenager liable.