The new school year is fully underway, which means there are more teen drivers on the road during peak driving hours. A lot of teens prefer to drive to school instead of taking the bus. Teenaged drivers age 15 to 20 make up 6.4 % of total drivers, but are more likely to cause a motor vehicle accident than any other driver. Reasons for this include inexperience, taking risks, and perhaps the most common, distracted driving.
The most well-known form of distracted driving is texting while driving; 42% of teens admit to texting while behind the wheel. Teens also are risky drivers; they are less likely to wear a seat belt, maintain a safe distance and follow traffic laws such as turn signal use and coming to a full stop. Inexperience is inherent. As little as 2 to 3 years of driving experience can dramatically decrease the chance of a teenage driver causing an accident, making 16-17 year old most likely to be involved.
As parents and as fellow drivers, there are some things to keep in mind regarding keeping teen drivers safe.
- Encourage teens to put their phones in the glove box while driving.
- Practice driving with your teenaged kids.
- Teach teens the importance of maintaining their vehicle so it is safe to drive. Examples are: regular tune-ups, tire rotations, new windshield wipers, etc. The safer the car, the safer the driver.
- Show teens how to be a cautious driver by being one and setting the bar for what safe driving looks like.
- If anything else, be a defensive driver. Be alert on the road and drive as if you were surrounded by inexperienced drivers.
We can’t control everything teenager’s do behind the wheel, but we can try to encourage safe driving habits.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an automobile accident due to another driver’s negligence, contact my office immediately. As your Ohio car accident attorney, I’ll be there for you, and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
Author: Tim Misny | For over four decades, personal injury lawyer Tim Misny has represented the injured victim in in birth injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases, serving Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Dayton and neighboring communities. You can reach Tim by email at misnylaw.com/ask-tim-a-question/ or call at 877.944.4373.