Teens are, by default, less experienced drivers than others on the road. Statistically, teens are frequently involved in car accidents, which are also the second-leading cause of death for them. Teens are three times as likely to be killed in a wreck than people 20 years of age or older.
What leads to these grim statistics?
Distracted and drunk driving are serious issues for teens
Data published by TeenSafe captures how texting and driving claims at least 11 teens’ lives each day here in the United States. More than half of these adolescent decedents are between the ages of 16 and 19. A study published in 2018 by TeenSafe captured how at least 33% of teenage motorists admitted to texting and driving despite knowing that the practice is unsafe.
TeenSafe’s data also shows that an estimated 25% of crashes are attributable to underage alcohol consumption.
What other problems do teen drivers contend with?
Seat belt use is lowest among teen motorists, according to TeenSafe. Their data shows that 30% or less of adolescent drivers involved in drunk driving accidents wear seat belts. They discovered that they’re twice as likely to wear one if their parents do so, though.
Distractions are another big issue. Teens are much more apt to have an accident if other drivers are in their vehicle than if they’re not. A teen’s degree of experience in operating a vehicle impacts their crash rates as well.
What can you do if a teen motorist struck you?
Many experienced adult drivers will at some point share the road with teen drivers, whether it’s after school, weekends or on school break. These motorists often worry that they won’t be attentive or experienced enough to make wise driving choices and unnecessarily leave them hurt or dead.
Indiana law does allow anyone who suffers injuries or dies at the hands of a negligent motorist to hold them liable for damages. While it’s unlikely that any compensation will enable you to return to living the lifestyle you did before your Indianapolis crash, it may deter a motorist from making the same mistake again.