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Teenagers have the highest car accident rate of any group in the United States, and a recent study reveals just how dangerous new teenager drivers can be.
Philadelphia accident attorneys Flager & Yockey urges parents of teen drivers to take note of a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Researchers found that teen drivers are about 50 percent more likely to crash in the first month of driving than they are after a full year of experience driving on their own. Furthermore, the young drivers are nearly twice as likely to become involved in an auto accident as they are after two full years of experience, according to the study.
At the Law Offices of Flager & Yockey, the personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia, PA., have seen the impact of serious car accidents first-hand. A car accident involving a teen-ager can be particularly traumatic, and result in significant losses, both emotional and financial. According to information on the law firm’s website, www.flageryockey.com See: accident lawyers Philadelphia , there are more than 30,000 fatal car accidents and millions of injuries due to car wrecks each year in the United States.
The AAA study was the result of an analysis of crashes of new drivers in North Carolina. In 57 percent of the cases during the teens’ first month of licensed driving, they made three common mistakes: failure to reduce speed, inattention, and failure to yield.
Some types of car accidents occurred at relatively high rates to newly licensed teen drivers but declined quickly with experience. These types of accidents included crashes involving left-hand turns. Other types of crashes that declined more slowly appeared to result from failure to master certain driving skills (not from lack of understanding).
The Philadelphia attorneys at the Law Office of Flager & Yockey pointed out that parents can stress the importance to their children of slowing down and paying attention. While teenage drivers’ crash rates decrease as they gain experience, the teens should be aware of the risks. Parents should stay involved in the learning process even after their teenagers can drive without adult supervision in the car.
A related AAA Foundation study used in-vehicle cameras to monitor teens when they were learning to drive with their parents. Some of the teens were caught texting behind the wheel, engaging in horseplay with passengers, running red lights, and other potentially distracting or dangerous behaviors.
The AAA Foundation recommends the following steps for new teen drivers:
· Practice driving after receiving the license to ensure the basic skills are mastered.
· Limit the number of passengers in the car to avoid distractions.
· Limit night driving, when the reduced visibility makes for riskier driving for people of all ages.
· Set rules extending beyond the state laws, such as possibly limiting highway or city driving or barring the teen from driving in inclement weather.
About Flager & Yockey
Flager & Yockey is a personal injury law firm with professional offices in Trevose, New Hope, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The lawyers at the firm have decades of experience handling all types of personal injury cases. Other practice areas include auto accidents, truck accidents, workplace injuries and injuries due to dangerous products. For a free case review, call (215) 953-5200 or 1-888-470-1099. You can also reach the firm by completing the online contact form.
