Teenagers have the highest car accident rate of any group in the United States, and a recent study reveals just how dangerous new teenager drivers can be.
Bakersfield CA car accident lawyer Mickey Fine urges parents of teen drivers to take note of a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Researchers found that teen drivers are about 50 percent more likely to crash in the first month of driving than they are after a full year of experience driving on their own. Furthermore, the young drivers are nearly twice as likely to become involved in an auto accident as they are after two full years of experience, according to the study.
A related AAA Foundation study used in-vehicle cameras to monitor teens when they were learning to drive with their parents. Some of the teens were caught texting behind the wheel, engaging in horseplay with passengers, running red lights, and other potentially distracting or dangerous behaviors.
The AAA Foundation recommends the following steps for new teen drivers:
Practice driving after receiving the license to ensure the basic skills are mastered.
Limit the number of passengers in the car to avoid distractions.
Limit night driving, when the reduced visibility makes for riskier driving for people of all ages.
Set rules extending beyond the state laws, such as possibly limiting highway or city driving or barring the teen from driving in inclement weather.