Personal Attention And Compassionate Representation

Are teenage drivers a problem?

On Behalf of | Apr 19, 2021 | Car Accidents |

Getting behind the wheel means taking on the responsibility of driving as safely as possible. Unfortunately, there are some people in Minnesota who do not treat driving as seriously as they should. Teenager drivers in particular can be especially dangerous on the road and have been labeled the riskiest group of drivers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the CDC.

Are teenagers dangerous drivers?

According to the CDC, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 have a fatal crash rate that is three times higher for every mile driven than drivers aged 20 and older. Public policy reforms such as cellphone bans, limited numbers of passengers and restrictions on nighttime driving have helped lower the number of fatal accidents involving teens, but there is still a long way to go. Some of the most common factors in serious accidents involving teenage drivers include teens who are:

  • Newly licensed
  • Driving with teenage passengers
  • Male

Speeding vs. distractions

Factors in deadly accidents involving teens are often different for male and female drivers, too. For example, male teen drivers who cause fatal accidents are about 20% more likely to be speeding than drivers of other ages. However, female teen drivers are more likely to cause fatal accidents because of distracted driving behaviors, such as:

  • Texting
  • Talking on the phone
  • Talking with passengers
  • Eating and drinking

Suffering a serious injury in a car accident is a traumatic experience. While recovering from these injuries can be difficult, those who were injured by teenage drivers might be even more uncertain of where to start. The good news is that these victims can still pursue compensation via a personal injury lawsuit, which is the same course of action many Minnesota victims of car accidents involving other adults choose to take.