33% Of Teens Who Were Killed In An Auto Accident Were Doing This

Drivers who are inexperienced are generally considered to be some of the most dangerous drivers on the road.  It stands to reason that because a teen is driving and is likely inexperienced then that would hold true for the teen as well.  In many cases this is true and there is a greater risk of a teen getting into a serious New Haven auto accident then those over the age of twenty.

Why is this?

During National Teen Driver Safety Week put together by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there are a number of things to look at that may result in more severe or a high frequency of accidents among teens.  One of the reasons a teen is more likely to be in an accident is the fact that teens are more likely to be driving while distracted by their cell phone or other passengers in the car.  It is for this reason that the state of Connecticut limits the ability of teens to be driving with other teens in the car.

There are a number of things that teens do that may be more likely to cause an accident, but there is one thing that MANY teens do that increases the severity of accidents when they do occur and that is speeding.  In fact, a full 1/3 of all teens who are killed behind the wheel of a car have been found to be excessively speeding.  Teens who are driving at excessive speeds is not a new problem, but it is a problem.  Parents who want to try to slow their teens down can do things like monitor the car with an app that is designed to track speeding while your teen is in it, but outside of that there is not much else a parent can do besides set concrete rules around speeding and driving.  A parent can also set a good example and drive the speed limit, especially when the teen is in the car.

Excessive speeding is not just a problem for teens as many adults also drive over the speed limit.  As we mentioned on this blog even going just a few miles per hour over the speed limit can greatly increase the risk of getting into a New Haven auto accident and it will also increase the severity of any accident that occurs.

It is so important that parents and teens talk about the dangers of driving and how best to keep the teen safe when behind the wheel.  Keeping in mind that teens are new and inexperienced parents need to have patience and understanding with a teen, but also be firm about the rules around driving at excessive speeds.  It will keep your teen safe.