Young Multiracial teenager girl driving car while Asian friend sits in car with friends passenger
A driver’s license can feel like a major step toward independence for a teenager. However, driving will also require teens to act with a certain level of responsibility, and some of them may not be mature enough to fully handle those responsibilities. They may be more likely to make mistakes or engage in risky behaviors. Even during a short trip to school, work, or a friend’s house, issues such as inexperience, distractions, and poor judgment can lead to dangerous car accidents.
Teen Car Accident Statistics
Teenage drivers are at a much higher risk of being involved in car accidents than other age groups. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, teen drivers are nearly four times more likely to be involved in car wrecks than drivers who are over the age of 20.
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Statistics also show that teen passengers can also increase the risks of accidents. According to the National Safety Council, a teenager who drives with one other teen passenger are 60% more likely to become involved in a fatal car accident. When two or more teen passengers are in a vehicle, the chances of a fatal accident double. However, when teenagers are driving with adult passengers, the chances of a fatal accident decrease by 40%.
Risk Factors for Teenage Drivers
There are a variety of reasons why teenagers are more likely to become involved in car accidents and suffer serious injuries, including:
- Inexperience: Teenagers may not recognize hazards or understand the right ways to respond.
- Speeding: Young drivers are more likely to underestimate how the speed of a vehicle will affect stopping distance and control, and they may be more likely to drive at unsafe speeds.
- Distraction: Phones, passengers, music, and conversations can take a teen driver’s attention away from the road, and they may not understand the dangers of failing to fully pay attention.
- Seat Belt Use: Teenagers are less likely than many older drivers to wear seat belts, which may lead to more serious injuries when they are involved in accidents.
Locations Where Teen Car Accidents Can Occur
Roads Near Schools and College Campuses
Areas around high schools, community colleges, and universities are common locations for car crashes involving teen drivers. These areas often have heavy traffic during morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal times. Teen drivers may be rushing to get to class, and they may be distracted by friends as they navigate busy streets and crowded parking lots.
In school zones, pedestrians may be crossing roads or walking near traffic. Bicycles may be traveling on roads. School buses and parents may be dropping off younger children. A teen driver who fails to account for these issues or who becomes distracted by their phone can put many other people at risk of being injured in a car accident.
Parking Lots and Shopping Centers
Parking lots may seem less dangerous because vehicles are moving at lower speeds. However, they are places where inexperienced drivers may become involved in collisions. Teenagers may not yet have developed the skills to pull into and back out of parking spaces safely, and they may fail to look behind their vehicles for pedestrians. They may be more likely to cause car accidents due to distractions.
Accidents can occur at malls, movie theaters, fast-food restaurants, and other areas where vehicles park. Even when they take place at low speeds, crashes in parking lots can injure pedestrians or people in other vehicles.
Intersections
Some intersections may be challenging for new drivers to navigate. A person will often need to make quick decisions about whether to turn onto a road with moving traffic or whether to speed up to get through a yellow light or brake and stop before a light turns red. Teenagers may misjudge the speed of oncoming traffic, or they may make turns or proceed through intersections without checking for pedestrians and cyclists.
Left turns can be especially risky. A driver may need to determine whether there is a big enough gap in traffic to make a turn while also watching a traffic signal, checking crosswalks, and making sure the turn can be completed safely. A teen driver with limited experience may make mistakes that could lead to a car accident.
Rural Roads
Roads in less-populated areas can be dangerous for teen drivers. They may travel at higher speeds in these areas because there are few other vehicles on the road. However, these roads will often feature narrow lanes, limited lighting, sharp curves, and loose gravel, which can increase the likelihood that a teen driver will lose control and cause an accident. A crash on a rural road can be severe, especially if a vehicle leaves the road, hits a tree, rolls over, or strikes another vehicle in a head-on collision.
Highways and Freeways
On highways, vehicles will travel at higher speeds, and drivers will need to merge into heavy traffic, pay attention to their blind spots, and react quickly to changes in traffic. Teen drivers may not have the experience needed to drive safely on these busy roads. Issues such as speeding, tailgating, and distracted driving can lead to dangerous crashes on highways and freeways.
Neighborhood Streets
Accidents involving teen drivers can also happen close to home. On neighborhood streets, drivers may need to pay attention to parked cars, children, pets, delivery vehicles, cyclists, and other factors. Teen drivers who are comfortable driving in familiar neighborhoods may pay less attention. They may roll through stop signs, speed through areas where pedestrians are present, or back out of driveways without checking carefully to make sure nobody is behind their vehicle.
How Negligent Behavior by Teen Drivers Can Affect Others
When a teen driver makes mistakes while behind the wheel, their actions can affect passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and anyone else who is involved in an accident. Passengers in a teen driver’s vehicle may be classmates or siblings, and they may be seriously injured in a crash. People in other vehicles may suffer injuries because they had no opportunity to avoid a crash.
Options for Injury Victims After a Car Crash With a Teenage Driver
After a car accident that was caused by the negligence of a teen driver, injury victims may have several options for obtaining compensation. Teenagers will usually be covered by their parents’ insurance policies, and accident victims can file insurance claims to ensure that their injuries and damages will be addressed.
A person may need to gather evidence demonstrating that a teen driver’s negligence was responsible for causing a collision as well as documentation of the medical treatment that was necessary and the impact that their injuries have had on their life. Evidence may include police reports, photos of the scene of an accident, statements from witnesses, medical records, traffic camera footage, and phone records.
As attorney Jason Burress explains, “After a crash involving a teen driver, injury victims can protect their ability to recover compensation by getting medical care, reporting the accident, and saving documentation of the accident and their injuries. Speaking to a lawyer before accepting a settlement from an insurance company can help ensure that a person will be fully compensated for their damages.”
The compensation a person can receive after an accident with a teen driver may address their medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repairs, and other personal and financial losses. An attorney can assist with insurance claims, helping a person take steps to obtain compensation that will meet their needs.
