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Auto accident risk factors for Virginia’s teen drivers

One in three teen deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to motor vehicle accidents. In fact, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. Per mile, teens are four times more likely to become involved in a motor vehicle accident than older drivers.

While individuals aged 15 to 24 make up only about 14 percent of the US population, young men account for 30 percent of auto accident injury costs and young women account for 28 percent ($19 billion and $7 billion respectively).

Why are young drivers at risk?

There are three main reasons that younger drivers face more danger on the road:

1. Inexperience behind the wheel. Young drivers are new to driving, and without years of experience under their belt teens are prone to making mistakes behind the wheel. In fact, the crash risk is highest for a novice driver the first year they have their license.
2. Peer distraction. When teenagers drive, they often take their friends with them. While this may be enjoyable for the young driver, it is extremely dangerous. The greater the number of teen passengers with a novice driver, the greater the risk that the driver will have an accident.
3. Gender matters. Young men are much more likely than women to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. The traffic crash death rate for young male drivers is one and a half times that of female drivers.

Teen driver accident risk factors

• As new drivers, teens often underestimate the danger of a situation or they may not recognize that a road hazard is unsafe.
• Teens often follow the car in front of them too closely.
• Speed is a major factor in young driver car crashes.
• Even though teens aren’t legally old enough to drink, 24 percent of those involved in a fatal car crash had been drinking and almost all of them were over the legal limit of 0.08.
• Teen drivers and their passengers don’t always wear their seat belts, something that dramatically increases their risk of being seriously injured or killed in a traffic accident.
• About 75 percent of teens who die in motor vehicle accidents after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.
• Teens are more likely than older Americans to send or read text messages while driving, an activity that dramatically increases the risk of an accident.

If you or someone you love needs help after being injured in a serious motor vehicle accident, then you need to contact the experienced traffic crash attorneys at Weisberg & Zaleski. You can call our Norfolk based office to discuss your case confidentially with one of our lawyers for no cost or obligation.

Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.

112 College Place

Norfolk, VA 23510

Toll Free: (800) 690-0235

Phone: (757) 622-7740

Fax: (757) 533-9223

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