New studies conducted by the Automobile Association of America’s Foundation for Traffic Safety found that teens are at more risk of dying in a car accident when other teens are in the car.
Conversely, the risks of being involved in a fatal car crash are dramatically lowered when an adult is supervising the teen’s driving, reports WSET.com.
Research has shown that the presence of other teens in a car can be distracting for any novice driver and can put them at a higher risk of being in a car accident.
Since the mid-1990s, every state in the country has created a “graduated licensing” law in hopes of reducing the amount of teens who drive with other passengers younger than 21 in the car.
Studies revealed that 16- and 17-year-old drivers increase their risk of death by 44 percent when carrying one passenger younger than 21. The risk is doubled when carrying two passengers and quadrupled when carrying three or more passengers under that age.
When a teen is driving with a person aged 35 or older, however, his risk of dying decreases 62 percent.
Between 2000 and 2010, the number of 16- and 17-yearolds involved in fatal car accidents decreased by more than half. Officials say this is due to the graduated licensing laws, as well as greater seat belt use, better safety equipment in cars, and anti-drunk-driving campaigns.
During that time period, 2,191 novice drivers were killed in a car accident. Studies showed that 40 percent of those drivers had at least one passenger under the age of 21 in their vehicle.
Police urge parents to enforce the graduating license laws, as it is difficult for officers to stop every car just because its passengers “look young.”
If your child has been involved in a car accident, please contact Parrish Law Firm, PLLC for more information. Call 703-906-4429 today.
Source:
- http://www.wset.com/story/18170363/teen-passengers-spell-danger-for-novice-drivers
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