It’s difficult to overstate the dangers caused by teen drivers. Young people between the ages of 16 and 19 are often very excited to get their driver’s license, and this is a big moment in life for them. But it’s dangerous for everyone else because this age group has the highest fatal accident rate in the United States. Statistics show that the rate is disproportionately high because drivers in this age bracket make up just a small fraction of all the drivers on the road.
So why has this happened? What is it about teen drivers that makes them so much more likely to cause serious car accidents?
Gaining experience
In many ways, the problem is actually that these young drivers lack experience. Older drivers may have spent years or decades on the road. They’ve encountered many complex situations, they’ve made driving mistakes and they’ve learned from them. This means that they’re much better at judging traffic conditions, identifying hazards and understanding why the rules of the road exist.
Teen drivers simply don’t have this experience yet. This leads to a lot of accidental mistakes, such as following too closely because they don’t know what a safe following distance looks like or breaking the speed limit because they don’t understand just how much of a risk that is.
Teens will get better at driving as they gain experience. If you look at the fatal car accidents for drivers in their 20s, the rate is much lower. But as long as these teens have to gain experience, they still pose a threat to everyone else on the road. Those who suffer injuries in car accidents need to know how they can seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs.
