Prom Season is a Particularly Dangerous Time for Teen Drivers
Every year right before prom weekend, crushed cars appear on the lawns of high schools throughout Northeast Ohio. Administrators place the cars, the majority of which were the result of a drunk driving incident, as a warning to prom-going teens. Despite the warnings, both symbolic and verbal, prom weekend is still one filled with numerous auto accidents, some caused by drunk driving. Teens tend to believe that they are invincible, but obviously they are not. Instead, they drink and drive or drive while distracted, causing accidents with lasting repercussions.
Teen Drivers Cause Accidents at an Alarming Rate
According to the statistics, between the years of 2016 and 2018, teen drivers were involved in over 130,000 accidents in Ohio alone. Authorities found teen drivers at fault in a majority of those accidents; over 71% of them, to be exact. In the last three years, 39,000 of those accidents resulted in injuries and 255 of them ended in death. However, only 18% of these accidents involved teens driving under the influence, leading researchers to conclude that three other causes are to blame: distracted driving, a lack of experience behind the wheel, and speed.
Distracted Teen Drivers On the Road
Many teens become distracted while driving, especially during prom season. Their cars are filled with friends and their cell phones are in reach. Combine both of those with inexperienced drivers who tend to drive at a high rate of speed and the results are catastrophic.
Texting and driving is one of the primary causes of teen accidents. It’s easy for young drivers to believe that looking away from the screen for a second or two is no problem. However, it only takes one second for an accident to occur. Studies conducted on texting and driving proved that operating a cell phone while behind the wheel takes 37% of the driver’s attention away from the road. Plus, teens who admitted to texting while driving also are less likely to wear a seat belt and more likely to either drink and drive or get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.
Since many teen drivers have not been on the road for very long, they lack the driving experience necessary to avoid accidents. They do not know how to keep from overcorrecting behind the wheel, or how to prevent a collision. As a result, accidents occur all too often, some of which with deadly outcomes.
Vehicle Collision Rise During Prom Season
Teens continue to drink and drive, or drive while distracted, especially during prom season. Their accidents can have lasting repercussions for themselves and other drivers and passengers. If you or a loved one have been hurt in an accident caused by a teen driver, call me and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
