January is Teen Driver Awareness Month

For many teens, the day they get their driver’s license is the most exciting day of their lives so far. It’s their first real taste of freedom as they now have the independence to drive themselves to school, work, or a friend’s house.

However, statistics show that teen drivers are also the population at greatest risk of being in an accident. Due to a combination of inexperience and recklessness, teens have the highest rate of crashes each year of any age group.

DID YOU KNOW?

• CDC states that compared with other age groups, teens and young adults often have the lowest seat belt use rates. In 2017, only 58.8% of high school students always wore seat belts when riding as passengers.
• Teen drivers aged 16-19 are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers over the age of 20
• In 2017, 40% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teen drivers and passengers aged 13-19 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, and 51% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday according to the CDC.

TEACH TEENS GOOD DRIVING HABITS

Our car accident attorneys at Rutter Mills would like to emphasize that it is important to establish good driving habits early. Set up some ground rules with your teen and remind them:

• Always wear a seat-belt – Not only is it the law, but it is a safety measure that has saved more lives than any other.
• Never text and drive – Research your options for blocking texting on your teen’s phone while they’re driving. Most major cellular providers offer a version of this service; you can set the rule but why not remove the temptation all together?
• Don’t speed – Speeding is a bad habit that can have costly consequences from increased risk of accidents to higher insurance!

Contact the car accident lawyers of Rutter Mills if you have any questions or concerns.