Disturbing Teen Driving Statistics

According to AAA, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States, and drivers ages 16 to 17 are involved in about seven times as many crashes per mile driven compared with adult drivers in their 40-60’s.  It is a serious problem. Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau of ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. has seen his fair share of fallout from serious crashes where one of the drivers involved was a teen.  The statistics on teenage driving are disturbing, but not surprising. In a follow-up to an earlier post, here are some facts from a recently published study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety:

•  Approximately one-third of all fatal crashes, for drivers of all age groups, were caused by speeding. For 16- and 17-year-old drivers, that number jumps to almost 50% when there were three or more passengers in the car.
•  Speeding was to blame in 30% of fatal crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers when there were no passengers in the car.  The number jumps to 44% when there were two passengers.
•  Late-night driving was 11% more likely when there were three or more teenage passengers in the car, versus when a teen was driving alone.
•  Alcohol use rose by 5 percentage points when there were three or more teenage passengers, versus when a teen was driving alone.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car, bicycle or motorcycle crash involving a distracted driver – teenage or otherwise –  and there are questions about what laws apply, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555).