Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Teen Drivers: Top Five Major Risk Factors
In the last decade, the proportion of 16-year-olds that hold driver's licenses in the United States has dropped significantly. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the drop in licensed teen drivers has gone to 29.8 percent in 2006 down from 43.8 percent in 1998.
Reasons for this decline vary, however, they include:
- tighter state laws governing when teenagers can drive,
- higher insurance costs, and
- a shift from school-run driver education to expensive private driving academies.
Driver’s Education
Twenty-five years ago most teenagers took driver's education in their local schools. But the number of school systems offering the program has plummeted to about 20 percent today, from 90 percent in the 1980s. In contrast to high schools, which offered driver's education as a regular class or for a modest fee during the summer, driving schools charge much higher rates.
Driver’s Insurance
Insurance costs are also rising. Where parents used to be able to add their young drivers to their policies for a nominal charge, it now costs 80 percent to 100 percent more to add a 16-year-old to a family's auto policy. The highest rates are charged if the teenager owns a vehicle.
Over all, teenage drivers have the highest crash risk of any group. Car accidents account for one-third of all deaths of 16- to 18-year-olds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Top Five Risk Factors for Teen Drivers
The top five major risk factors for teenage drivers are:
- Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations.
- Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next). The presence of male teenage passengers increases the likelihood of this risky driving behavior.
- Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 38% were speeding at the time of the crash and 24% had been drinking.
- Compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. In 2005, 10% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else.
- At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens than for older drivers.
Reserch suggests the best way to help teens become safer drivers is a comprehensive graduated drivers licensing (GDL) program. Graduated driving licensing (GDL) systems are designed to delay full licensure while allowing teens to get their initial driving experience under low-risk conditions.
Learn your state's GDL laws and enforce them with your teen driver. Help keep your teen driver safe.
When to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
If your teenager was involved in a traffic accident caused by someone else’s negligence, and has suffered injuries as a result of the accident, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim on behalf of your child. If you are not sure if you have a case, or need help in proceeding with your case, it is best to consult with an experienced Boston personal injury attorney.
Call our toll-free number: 1-888-208-1695 for a Free Case Evaluation.
The call is free, the information may be priceless.
