Teens and Car Accidents

    ORLANDO, FL, June 28, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Teenagers are four times more likely to be killed in a car crash than any other age group. Most of the automobile accidents happen on a weekend night between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and 50% involve alcohol or drugs. Over 80% of the accidents can be attributed to driver error. Teenagers are more likely to ignore posted speed limits and do not wear their safety belts.

Risk taking and inexperience figure greatly in teenage automobile accidents. It has also been proven teens are more reckless with other teens as passengers. Teens use their cell phones more, joke and talk more and are therefore prone to more distractions than other driver age groups. Typical teenage behavior becomes deadly in an automobile.

Deadly Statistics
A sixteen year old is three times more likely to die in a car crash than any other age group. Over five thousand teens die in car crashes every year, with the first six months after getting their license being the most deadly. The teens most at risk are males, teens driving with other teens and newly licensed teens. Teens have been found to underestimate how dangerous certain driving situations are, they are most likely to speed, tailgate and drive while impaired. The lowest rate of safety belt use is among teenagers.

When questioned, teenagers saw their youth as an advantage when driving. They felt their youth enabled them to cope with adverse driving conditions better than more experienced older drivers. They also felt their youth would sustain them if involved in an automobile accident, enabling them to withstand an accident uninjured. These attitudes are a reminder that there is a great need to address the perils of risky behaviors on the highways with the teenage population at every opportunity.

Ways to Keep a Teen Driver Safe
-Refrain from using cell phones while driving
-Do not allow teens in cars with teen driver
-Do not allow teens to drive after dark
-Use seat belts at all times

If you live in the Orlando, Florida area and you or a loved one was involved in an accident with a teenage driver, or your own teenager was involved in an accident, please visit the website of The Law Offices of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D., Florida personal injury attorneys, today to learn all about your legal rights in this matter.

Source: The Law Offices of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D.
Website: http://www.themdjd.com

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