Unfortunately, the statistics about teen drivers aren’t going to do much to ease your fears. According to a comprehensive study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teen drivers have the highest number of accidents by far of any age demographic, reports Philadelphia car accident lawyer Rand Spear.
Distractions Are the Leading Cause of Teen Car Accidents
The study, which examined data from 2007 through 2015, looked at over 2,000 car accidents involving drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.
- Male drivers were involved in 51.3% of all crashes.
- Female drivers were involved in 48.5% of all crashes.
- Crashes were more frequent during the week, with 71.5% occurring on a weekday.
- Passengers were present in one-third of all crashes.
Parents will be happy to know that seat belt use among teens is quite high. In 93.5% of all car accidents in the study, the driver was wearing a seat belt.
Parents will also be relieved to know that there are several things they can do to help their young drivers avoid car accidents. According to AAA, driving distractions are a leading cause of teen car accidents. In fact, over half (58.5%) of car accidents involving a teen driver were caused by distractions behind the wheel.
The Top 3 Teen Driver Distractions
Spoiler alert: The top teen driver distraction is not cell phones adds car crash attorney Spear.
According to the study, teen drivers are most often distracted by something in their vehicle, a mobile phone, and passengers — with passengers being the number one cause of teen driver distraction.
#3 Looking at something inside the vehicle – The third-leading teen driver distraction involved looking at an object inside the vehicle. This distraction accounted for nearly 10% of all crashes.
#2 Mobile phone use – Nearly 12% of all teen car accidents were caused by a distraction related to cell phone use, including texting and emailing while driving.
#1 Passengers – By far, the biggest distraction for teen drivers is passengers. Of the accidents studied, 14% were caused by a teen driver distracted by other people in the vehicle.
Philadelphia car accident lawyer Rand Spear explains, “Parents of teen drivers should seriously consider restricting their young drivers to just one passenger in the car at a time. As any parent knows, it’s common for teens to pile into a car together. While this may be fun, it can also be dangerous. Any conversation or movement that takes a driver’s eyes off the road is a potentially deadly distraction. Limiting the number of passengers is one way to help teen drivers be more responsible behind the wheel.”
Contact a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in a car accident, or you have lost a loved one in a PA motor vehicle accident, don’t wait to speak to an attorney about your case. Get the information, support, and guidance you deserve by calling Philadelphia and New Jersey car accident lawyer; Demand Rand Spear today at 877-GET-RAND.
