Four Reasons Why Teen Drivers Crash

Getting a new driver’s license may be an exciting time of newfound freedom from teenagers, but as with any great freedom comes perhaps even greater responsibility. Unfortunately, mistakes when driving can mean serious injuries after a major auto accident, which a newly unsupervised teen driver is more than 30 times more likely to be involved with. In honor of June being National Safety Month, here are four reasons why teen drivers are such a high accident risk and how you can help your teenager avoid these issues to become the safest driver possible.

Inexperience

The risk for being involved in a car accident is highest when a new driver first gets their license. Despite having a learner’s permit for at least several months before becoming licensed, this is hardly enough experience to truly get a feel for what life is like out on the roads. Teens have not encountered many of the situations they’ll face over the course of their driving life, and they’re not yet accustomed to controlling their car in a way that avoids some of these situations.

Driving at Night

It may not seem that surprising, but 40 percent of all fatal crashes happen at night. When the sun goes down and visibility on the road drips, driving becomes more difficult for everyone, especially for teenagers who don’t yet have this type of experience. Make sure your teen knows to check that their lights are on and all working before setting off at night, and that they use all signals to show their behavior and make sure they are seen and can see what’s ahead of them.

Driving With Passengers

When it comes to dangerous behaviors behind the wheel, there is perhaps none more dangerous for a teenager than driving distracted. And for teens, the risk can come from sources we don’t even usually think twice about as adults. Young passengers, such as friends, significant others, or even other family members can all dramatically increase the risk of an accident, just by being in the car. The risk of a fatal accident increases an astounding 44 percent when a teen driver has just one young passenger with them. That risk then doubles when you add in a second young passenger and quadruples for a third.

Reckless Behaviors

Teens are also not immune from partaking in some of the driving behaviors that are risks for everyone. Drinking and driving is illegal for everyone, and there’s a zero-tolerance policy for young people. Yet nearly 20 percent of all young people killed in crashes had been drinking before the accident. More than one-third of all young male fatalities behind the wheel occur because the teen was driving too fast, making speeding one of the most deadly reasons for accidents. Finally, more than half of all young people killed in crashes were not wearing their seatbelt.