One of the biggest moments in a teenager’s life is getting their driver’s license, but far too many young drivers are injured or killed in car accidents each year. According to Safe Kids Worldwide (SKW), a global non-profit organization tasked with preventing childhood injury through research, community outreach, legislative advocacy and media awareness campaigns, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, ahead of all other types of violence, injury or disease. Certain driving behaviors are especially risky, so if your teenager has their license or is getting one soon, be sure to check out the life-saving safety tips we compiled below.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) most recent data demonstrates a 17% increase in the number of young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20-years-old who died in car accidents in 2020 as compared to the previous year. Altogether, 1,885 young drivers lost their lives. One of the top reasons that young drivers are more likely to get into motor vehicle accidents is due to their lack of driving experience. They are also more prone to engaging in potentially reckless and impulse behaviors; when behind the wheel, this is a particularly lethal combination.
The NHTSA’s data also shows that teen drivers are more likely to be killed in motor vehicle accidents than adult drivers when they are impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, riding with their peers, or when they are using a cell phone. Here are some examples from the NHTSA of dangerous driving behaviors that teens are notorious for engaging in — and that older, more experienced and more responsible drivers should teach them to avoid at all times:
More than 250,000 teens in the United States are treated by healthcare professionals in emergency departments for injuries that they sustain in motor vehicle crashes every year. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), 60% of pediatric spinal fractures that occur in children between the ages of 15 and 17-years-old coincide with the beginning of their driver’s licensing. It is also important to note that nearly two-thirds of these spinal fractures present in teens who were not wearing a seat belt during the accident. Spinal fractures are by no means the only significant injuries that young drivers and their passengers fall victim to in motor vehicle collisions; here are some other examples of common injuries they sustain:
If you have a teenage driver or a teen who rides in cars with their peers as a passenger, it is important to talk to them about how to avoid getting into an accident. According to SKW, here are some top ways that teens in cars have the best chance of reaching their destination safely:
If your teen sustained injuries in a car accident because of another driver, someone at our firm can help. Our attorneys have decades of experience addressing financial areas that often present themselves after an automobile accident and that a family may need assistance recouping, such as medical bills, continued medical care, lost wages (like if a parent or guardian loses time for work while providing care for their injured teen), pain and suffering, and punitive damages. Here are a few examples of automobile accident cases that our firm has litigated:
To learn more about filing a car accident claim, contact a representative at our firm online who can help now.
If you have a question about filing a legal claim, contact the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.