Biggest Risks For Teen Drivers
Say what you will about today’s teens losing confidence and interest in the rites of passage that their parents took as markers of adulthood for granted, such as homeownership, employer-provided retirement accounts, and driving cars, but drivers under the age of 20 are still at the highest risk of catastrophic traffic accidents out of all age groups. Yes, the percentage of teens who have driver’s licenses is lower than it was 20 years ago, but plenty of teens still drive, and they do not necessarily do it better than previous cohorts of adolescents did. Most of the factors that contribute to accidents caused by young drivers are also risk factors to older drivers, but because of inexperience in driving, teens are less adept at avoiding them. Regarding the legal aspects of accidents caused by teen drivers, the people injured in these accidents have the same rights as if the driver had been any other age. The biggest legal difference is that, if the at fault driver was younger than 18, the driver’s parents are legally responsible for damages caused by their minor son or daughter, including the medical expenses of people injured in an accident caused by the teen driver. If you got injured in a car accident where the at fault driver was younger than 20, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.
Beware of New Drivers Showing Off to Their Friends
The risk of being involved in a fatal accident is nearly three times as high for drivers under the age of 20 than it is for drivers ages 20 and above. Despite this, there are differences among teen drivers regarding their rate of serious accidents. Teen boys have a higher rate of traffic fatalities than teen girls. For both sexes, the risk of a serious accident is higher if there are passengers in the car than if the teen is driving alone. Contrary to the stereotype that teens only pay attention to their phones and have no interest in socializing in person, the presence of peers in the car is even more dangerous for new drivers than cell phone distractions are.
Teen Drivers and Substance Use
Even though it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to buy alcohol, approximately a third of fatal crashes involving drivers under 21 are instances where the at fault driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. In other words, teen drivers are no more and no less likely to drive drunk than adults, for whom alcohol is also implicated in about a third of fatal crashes. Cannabis is the second most commonly abused substance by teen drivers. In 16 percent of fatal crashes involving drivers ages 20 and younger, the at fault driver was under the influence of cannabis.
Let Us Help You Today
The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get justice after an accident caused by a teen driver. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Source:
cdc.gov/teen-drivers/risk-factors/index.html
