Teenagers Car Accident Statistics – The Risks Grow
Teenagers car accident statistics can be shocking. Any parent browsing through them definitely has cause for alarm.
Not only are car accidents very common; teenage car accidents are doubly so, and most cases are extreme and lead to fatalities.
Knowing just what the teenage car accident situation is will help create awareness about this problem and may lead to more careful teenage drivers.
What the Stats Say
According to the teenagers car accident statistics, more than 5,000 teenagers die each year due to fatal car accidents. This number only takes into account teens between the ages of 16 and 20, which makes up a very small percentage of the total number of drivers in the country. This is quite disturbing, especially since teenagers account for 12% of car crashes that lead to deaths, whereas they only make up 10% of the overall population of the country. Out of these numbers, gender also seems to play a starring role in the teenage car accident statistics. According to the numbers, fatalities are higher for teenage male drivers than for female drivers. Out of 100,000 teenage male drivers, 19.4 dies in fatal car accidents, while only 11.1 dies out of the same number of teenage female drivers. In costs, drivers under 24 were found to be responsible for 30% of the total damages incurred by all car accidents in the country.
What the Odds Say
There are statistics, but then there are odds. According to the odds, drivers aged 16 to 20 face the highest risk of getting involved in car accidents. Other age groups face considerable risk, but this age range is about 4 times more vulnerable. The risk is also higher during the first year that the teenagers turn into legal drivers, perhaps due to the excitement they have over the freedom and independence that being able to drive gives them. Aside from that, some analysts also explain that young drivers are less able to recognize situations that may lead to tragic car accidents than older drivers. In fact, the risk of a car accident faced by young teens is twice as high as the risks faced by drivers more than 35 years old. Through the statistics, analysts also observed that teens tend to tailgate and over-speed a lot.
How to Prevent Teenage Car Accidents
Teenage car accidents are difficult to control and prevent, especially since teens with newfound independence are the hardest to control. Attempts to prevent these accidents often involve driver’s education classes, but according to teenage car accident statistics, these classes do not have any effect on the rate of car accidents linked to teens.
Fortunately, some laws that attempt to control alcohol-related car accidents have helped reduce the rising teenagers car accident statistics. One example of these laws is the Graduated Drivers License law, which had an effectiveness rate of 20%.
The Verdict
Teenage car accidents may be difficult to control, but there is one effective way of preventing teenage-related accidents even without the law. Awareness, proper discipline, and guidance from parents can help teenage drivers turn into careful and responsible drivers and be protected from fatal crashes.