Summer Driving Deadly for Teens

Now that the school year has ended, more inexperienced teen drivers are on the roads, which can have a serious impact on the number of car accidents that occur during the summer months. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 1,022 people suffered fatalities in car accidents involving teen drivers during the 100 days of summer over the past five years.

The majority of car wrecks involving teen drivers are not caused by teens who are driving recklessly, but instead is due to distractions such as talking on cell phones or texting. According to the Pew Research Center, 55 percent of teens send an average of 80 texts per day and many of those texts are being sent or read while teens are driving. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that texting while driving increases the accident risk by 23 times, compared to driving free of distractions.

Facts About Teen Driving 

• Due to driving inexperience, teens do not always have the ability to react to potentially dangerous situations or recognize hazards when they are driving.
• Even if they are driving within the speed limit, teens have a tendency to drive too fast when encountering certain road conditions.
• Teens are easily distracted by cell phone use and the presence of other people in the car.
• Teens tend to drive during high-risk conditions, which increases the risk of accidents and injuries.
• Teens’ brains are not yet fully developed, including the part of the brain that controls emotions and risk taking. Therefore, teens are more likely to take risks that could endanger themselves and others on the road because they fail to recognize the danger.
• Teens are less likely than older adults to wear seat belts
• Teenage males are more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a car wreck than females of the same age.
• Newly licensed teen drivers have the highest crash risk.

Driving a car is a huge responsibility, one that many teens may not fully understand. Parents have a responsibility to make sure that their teens are fully aware of the dangers of teen driving and what they can do to avoid serious accidents, especially during summer months. In addition to having regular conversations about issues like drunk driving, distracted driving, and drowsy driving, parents who have a written driving agreement that sets clear driving rules can lower their teen’s risk of being in a car accident by approximately 50 percent.

Baltimore Car Wreck Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Seek Maximum Compensation for Victims of Teen Car Accidents 

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident involving a teen driver, you are urged to contact the experienced Baltimore car accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. Our dedicated team will protect your rights and pursue the maximum financial compensation you deserve. To schedule a free consultation, do not hesitate to call us at LAW (4529) or contact us online.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent car accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.