When you look at car accident statistics, it quickly becomes clear that there’s a problem. Teenage drivers have incredibly high fatality rates. They are involved in deadly accidents at a rate that is disproportionate to the size of their age group.
After all, teenagers only represent a very small fraction of drivers. Those from 16 to 19 years old have just gotten their license, but they’re still involved in an abnormally high number of fatality-related crashes. Why is this?
The role of inexperience
The problem is that teenagers lack the experience that they need to drive safely. They just haven’t spent that much time on the road, and they will make mistakes as a result.
For example, some teenagers struggle with knowing how to judge road designs, and they don’t slow down enough coming into a corner. Others aren’t sure what a safe following distance looks like, and they may accidentally tailgate the car ahead of them. Others may not know how to adjust their speed for conditions and could end up driving too quickly in inclement weather. Other teen drivers will speed or drive aggressively for the thrill of it, not fully comprehending just how dangerous this type of driving really is.
What if you get injured?
These are just a few examples of the mistakes that teenagers make based on their lack of experience, but the statistics make it clear just how dangerous this is. If you get injured in an accident caused by one of these drivers, or if a loved one passes away, be sure you know if you can seek financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and other costs.