Whenever you look at accident statistics, it becomes clear that teenage drivers pose a distinct danger on the road. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that teens have the highest fatal accident rate of any age group. Additionally, authorities sometimes refer to the summer months as the “100 deadly days of summer” because there is a spike in car accidents involving teens.
But why are young drivers so much more dangerous than their older counterparts? After all, these drivers have gone through driver’s training recently and studied the rules of the road. Shouldn’t that make them safer drivers?
The role of inexperience
Training is helpful, but the biggest issue is simply inexperience. Even if a young driver has spent time driving with their parents and an instructor, they still do not have many hours behind the wheel. Because of their lack of experience, they are more likely to make mistakes when driving on their own.
Unfortunately, these mistakes can have serious ramifications. A teenager who is following too closely could cause a rear-end accident. Another teen who gets distracted by their cellphone could drift over the centerline and cause a devastating head-on crash. A teenager who goes out of turn at a two-way stop could cause a serious T-bone collision.
The only real solution is for teenagers to gain more experience, but that takes time. In the meantime, they will continue to be at high risk of a serious car accident. If you have suffered harm in an accident caused by another driver, you need to know what legal steps to take to seek financial compensation.