People sometimes talk about how teenagers are dangerous drivers. They may complain about teens who are distracted by their cellphones behind the wheel, for example, or teens who drive aggressively and break the speed limit.
But as these examples show, these issues are not exclusive to teens. There are plenty of adults who are aggressive drivers or distracted drivers. The majority of drivers break the speed limit from time to time. So why is it that teens have this reputation as being more dangerous than the average driver?
The fatal accident rate
The issue is that teenagers genuinely have a disproportionately high fatal accident rate. They are more likely than other drivers to cause severe crashes. They also contribute to a significant portion of accidents leading to serious injuries, even if those involved survive the crash. Fatal accident rates tend to fall as drivers enter their 20s.
The reason for this is often that these teens simply lack experience. This can lead to poor decision-making. They may not realize that they need to slow down in adverse weather conditions, for example, or they may misjudge their following distance. Teens make the same driving mistakes that adults do, but their lack of experience may mean that they make these mistakes more often or that they are less able to respond appropriately to avoid a crash or rectify such an error. Until they gain more experience, teen drivers pose a serious risk to those around them.
If you have lost a loved one in a car accident or been injured yourself, take the time to carefully look into all of the legal options at your disposal.