The sad fact is, car accidents are the leading cause of death for American teens. Unfortunately, the ones responsible for these deaths are often the teen drivers themselves.
If you are a parent who has a teen driver or a teen who’s learning how to drive, beware and take note of the following statistics:
• Last 2008, as many as 9 teenagers aged 16 to 19 years old died from motor vehicle injuries everyday.
• Teen drivers aged 16 to 19 years old are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in both fatal and nonfatal crashes.
• The crash risk among teenage drivers is particularly high during the first months of licensure – the risk is highest at the age of 16.
• 63 percent of teenage passenger deaths in 2008 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager.
• In 2008, 2 out of every 3 teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes were male.
• 4,054 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes.
The risk of death and serious injury in accidents among teen drivers is disproportionately high and as a parent, you should be aware of the causes of teen crashes and impart this knowledge to your child. The following are the usual suspects behind teen car accidents:
• Lack of experience - Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive – this is because teens are most likely to underestimate dangerous situations and not be able to recognize or even understand hazardous situations unlike adults.
• Immaturity – Teen drivers, especially males between 15 and 20 years of age are most likely to be involved in risky driving behavior. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many male teen drivers were found speeding or driving drunk at the time of the crash.
• Distraction – Teens have numerous distractions – aside from being more likely to text or talk on the cellphones while driving or fiddle with the radio or their Ipod, teen drivers who drive unsupervised with other teen passengers are dangerous.
As a parent, it is important to you to talk to your teen driver about the dangers of driving and even share the above-mentioned facts just to emphasize the importance of driving safely. Establishing an effective parent-teen communication during the start of your child’s driving lessons can help make them a more responsible driver and it also important that you yourself set a good example when driving.
