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Teen Drivers and Car Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of preventable death for U.S. teens. In Missouri, 133 people were killed in car crashes involving a teen driver in 2023 according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety (MCRS). Of the teen drivers in 2023 involved in a fatal car accident, 47% were speeding or driving too fast for conditions. Of the teens who were occupants in a vehicle and were killed in car crash, 77% were not wearing a seatbelt.

Preventing Teen Car Accidents

· Restrict your teen’s driving between the hours of 12:00 a.m. to 5:59 a.m., if possible. While only 1% of teen driving trips occur during these hours, 13% of their car crashes involving a fatality occur in this time period. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/teen-drivers/.

 

· Talk to your teen about the dangers of distracted driving. Teens can be easily distracted by their phones, passengers in their vehicles, changing the radio station and a multitude of other distractions. Your teen’s risk of getting into a car accident increases by six times by dialing a phone number while driving and increases by 23 times by texting and driving. Encourage your teen to always keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving.

 

· Limit the number of teen passengers in your teen’s vehicle. Teens are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors when driving with multiple passengers in their vehicle. The risk of fatal crashes increases in direct relation to the number of teenagers in the car. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving.

 

· Encourage your teen to wear a seatbelt. In Missouri, it is estimated that 21 teen lives would have been saved if they were buckled up. https://www.savemolives.com/mcrs/teen-drivers.

 

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, please reach out to The A.W. Smith Law Firm for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.