No Passengers New Teen Drivers

A new report issued by the National Safety Council (NSC) reveals that it is unsafe for teen age drivers to have any passengers in the vehicle with them. One study cited by the NSC found that even one passenger in the vehicle increases the risk of an accident by almost 45 percent.

Besides texting or using their cell phones, there are several common dangerous activities that many teens engage in while driving, including applying makeup, eating, searching for a radio station, going through a backpack or purse in search of an item, and even reading. The NSC says that another item that should be added to the list of things that cause distracted driving for teens is having a passenger in the vehicle with them.

The number of teens who are killed in fatal car crashes is out of proportion compared to the number of teen drivers there actually are on the road.  When the fatal crash rate per mile of teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 years of age is compared to the fatal crash rate per mile of drivers who are over 20 years of age, the teen driver fatal crash rate is three times higher. Yet, there are many more adult drivers on U.S. roads than there are teen age drivers. The fatal crash rate per mile for drivers who are 16 and 17 years old is twice as high as the rate for 18 and 19 year-old driver.

These statistics appear to confirm the advice of the NSC – that teen drivers need to gain experience behind the wheel before anyone be allowed to go along for the ride with them. The agency recommends that a teen age driver should have their license for a minimum of six months before they have passengers in the vehicle with them.

And the organization points out this does not just apply to the teen driver’s friends, but younger siblings should also not be allowed to drive with their older brother or sister for at least six months as well. In fact, younger siblings may be even more of a distraction to a teen driving a vehicle than any friend could be.

If you have been injured in a car crash caused by a teen driver, contact an experienced Lake County personal injury attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for the injuries you have sustained.