Car accidents involving teenagers are very common. According to some reports, they have the highest fatal car accident rate out of any age group. Experts also warn that teen car accident rates go up during the summer, mostly because teenagers are not in school and so they spend more time on the road.
But why is it that teen drivers are so dangerous? Many other drivers are wary about sharing the road with them, knowing that one mistake could cause a severe accident. What is it that causes these high fatal accident rates?
Lack of experience
When studying these trends, many people look at the root causes of specific accidents. Maybe a teen was speeding or racing a friend in another car. Maybe they got distracted by their cellphone or because they had a group of friends in the car with them. Perhaps they made a major driving mistake, like going the wrong way down a one-way street. All of these things could describe why a teen would cause a crash.
But one important thing to remember is that many of these mistakes just happen because teens are inexperienced drivers. Operating a motor vehicle is a very complex skill, perhaps one of the most difficult things the teen has learned how to do so far. With any other skill that they are learning – playing an instrument, for example – they’re also going to make mistakes. But when they make those mistakes in a car, the ramifications may be more serious because they can cause an accident that also injures others.
As teenagers gain experience, they do become safer drivers, but they’re going to cause some accidents while developing those skills. Those who have been injured or lost loved ones may be able to seek financial compensation.