Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teens in the U.S. Teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident. The number one cause of teen car accidents is driver error. Parents can play a big role in teaching their teenagers how to drive safely and avoid driving errors.
The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CIRP@CHOP) has put together a team that is dedicated to improving teen driver safety.
Teen Driving Risk Factors
Inexperience is a disadvantage that causes many teen driver accidents. However, other distractions and factors also increase the safety risk for teen motorists.
Some common high risk factors for teen drivers include::
- Cell Phones and Texting. Use of cell phones and texting while driving is a major problem for any driver. Unfortunately, it is an even bigger distraction and accident risk for less experienced teen drivers.
- Speeding. Speeding increases the risk of an accident. Lack of experience and reduced reaction time can be a recipe for disaster when combined with teens driving over the posted speed limit.
- Weather. Inclement weather, such as snow, hail, and rain, also increase the risk of accidents. Teenage drivers are especially vulnerable to these conditions because of their lack of experience behind the wheel.
- Alcohol. Impaired driving significantly increases the risk of getting into fatal motor vehicle accidents.
- Failure to Use Seat Belts. Seat-belts are important in avoiding serious injuries during a crash. Despite the statistics, most teens still refuse to buckle up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 55 percent of 16- to 20-year-old drivers and passengers killed in the accident were not wearing seat-belts.
Common Teen Accident Injuries
Teenagers are more susceptible to suffering serious injuries in car accidents than adults. Common teen car accident injuries include:
- Head and brain injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Broken bones
Regardless of what type of injury your teenager has suffered in an accident, it is important that he or she gets immediate medical attention. You should also consult with an experienced New York car accident attorney to help your teenage driver get the full compensation he or she deserves.
We Can Help
If your young loved one is injured in an accident caused by someone else, you need to hire an experienced New York teen car accident attorney to protect his or her legal rights. The attorneys at Gersowitz Libo & Korek P.C. have more than 39 years of experience and knowledge to aggressively fight for your rights and get you the full extent of monetary compensation that you deserve.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our New York teenage car accident attorneys, please call 1-800- 529-9997.
