Car accidents are sometimes inevitable, no matter how
experienced you are. Causes of car crashes apply to any age group. However,
certain causes of these crashes tend to be more prevalent among certain age
groups. For instance, teenage drivers are more likely to cause an accident due
to driver error than are adults. One-third of crashes by teenage drivers also
involve speeding, which explains why many times these crashes involve only one
vehicle. In fact, teenagers are
automatically at a higher risk of crashing simply because they have less
experience than older drivers do. Parents of teenagers should make sure their
teens are educated about the danger hazards of the road. Here are some factors
and statistics that put teen drivers at more risk of accidents than adults:
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Teens are more likely than older drivers to
underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous
situations.
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Teens are more likely than older drivers to
speed and allow shorter distances from the front of one vehicle to the front of
the next.
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Compared with other age groups, teens have the
lowest rate of seat belt use. A majority of teenagers who have lost their lives
in car accidents were not wearing a seatbelt.
-
Riding with other passengers in a vehicle makes
it much more difficult to concentrate on the task at hand: driving. Studies
show that the risk of fatal crashes rises with each additional passenger in the
vehicle. In crashes that caused the death of a teenage passenger, over half
were riding with a teen driver. And teenagers are more likely than older adults
to ride with several passengers, thereby having more distractions.
-
At any level of blood alcohol concentration
(BAC), the risk of being involved in a car crash is greater for teens than for
older drivers. In 2013, 17% of drivers aged 16 to 20 involved in fatal motor
vehicle crashes had a BAC of .08% or higher.
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The number of teenage drivers that crash
vehicles at night is higher than those that do so during daylight hours. In
2013, 51% of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and
midnight and 54% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Older adults on the other hand, have their own causes that
are more common among those 65 and older. These causes include age-related
declines in vision and cognitive functioning, as well as physical changes, all
of which may affect their driving abilities.
But all age groups have the same thing in common: the risk
of being involved in a car accident. The only thing you can do is make sure
your teenagers are well educated about driving on the road to minimize the
causes of these accidents. As for older and more experienced drivers, listening
to the same advice you would tell a teenager also applies to you. And seniors
who no longer feel they are safely capable of driving should not drive. Always
be aware of the risks and use caution.
If
you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor,
Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield,
Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City
Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys
know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your
feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the
compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow
Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join
the conversation by using #MCAA.
