Car Accidents & Teenage Drivers: Injuries, Death, & Tips For Parents
Car accidents happen everyday and the injuries caused from those accidents many of times are quite serious and catastrophic. Add a brand new teen driver in the picture and the chance for a car accident to take place is much higher. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway safety found that 16-19 year olds have a greater risk of an accident than any other age group.
In the United States, 33% of teenage drivers are involved in car accident within their first year of driving and according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, auto accidents are the leading cause of death among U.S. teenagers as it accounts for 36% of all deaths in the teen age group. 406,427 people were injured and 2,541 people killed due to car accidents involving teens between the ages of 15 and 17 in the year 2006.
Tips For Parents On Teen Driving
As a resource for our clients, we have provided a list of tips for parents to follow on how to ensure their teenager will be a cautious and careful driver. These include:
1.More instruction - do more than the required amount of hours for driving instruction. More practice with the teen driver will get them more familiar with operating a vehicle and how to handle certain situations.
2.Set an example - When you are driving with your teen, make sure to set a good example of how a good driver should operate. Do not use your cell phone to make phone calls, keep eyes on the road at all times, and use blinkers appropriately.
3.Scan around - When driving with your teen, always keep your eyes peeled and point out sorts of potential risks that your teen should be noticing.
4.Consider the maturity of your teen - Just because a teenager turns 16, does not mean that they are ready to drive. Remember teen's mature at all different ages and not every teen should receive their license the second they turn 16.
5.Stay involved - Just because your teen driver receives his/her license does not mean he/she becomes an automatic expert. The more a parent stays involved, teaching and encouraging good habits, the lower the risk for the teen driver to be involved in a car accident.
6.Create ownership - If you let them borrow your car or purchase one for them, make sure to include some type of responsibility with it such as paying for gas or maybe half of the car payment. This will teach them responsibility and also may make them more cautious because the car is partly owned by them.
Victims of auto accidents do have legal rights and should pursue them immediately after the accident. When choosing your car accident lawyer, it is key to choose the right lawyer so that you may receive a fair settlement. Your car accident attorney can also help you receive all of your No-Fault Insurance benefits, including medical expenses, lost wages, attendant care services, and other benefits.