Teen Drivers and Auto Accidents: A Dangerous Correlation By Sean Burke on March 18, 2014

While there are undoubtedly some teens who are conscientious, law-abiding drivers, the lack of driving experience among new teen drivers makes even the safest of them more likely to be involved in an auto accident than any other segment of the population. Especially on the crowded Southern California roadways of areas such as Orange County, auto accidents involving teens are unfortunately common.

If you have been injured in an accident caused by a teen driver, or if a member of your family was injured or killed in such an accident, the personal injury attorneys of the Law Offices of Sean M. Burke can help you obtain the damages to which you are entitled. We can also provide your family with exceptional representation if your child was injured while riding in a vehicle being operated by a teenaged driver.

Teen Driver Statistics

The correlation between youth and a heightened incidence of auto accidents cannot be denied; statistically, it has been proven many times over. Here are just a few statistics showing how dangerous cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles can be in the hands of inexperienced teen drivers:

In 2008, 593 people were killed in the state of California in accidents caused by teen drivers. Only in Texas were more lives claimed (611) in such accidents.
In 2011, the crash rate among teen drivers was three times higher than the crash rate among non-teen drivers, per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Also according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 49 percent of fatal crashes involving teenaged drivers were single-vehicle crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the traffic citation rate for teen drivers is 2.1 times higher than that of all drivers combined.

Why Are Teen Drivers More Likely to Be Involved in Auto Accidents

There are many reasons that teen drivers are more likely to be involved in auto accidents than other drivers. Inexperience is one of the primary reasons. Other reasons include:

Teenagers are less likely to wear seatbelts than older drivers.
Teens are more likely to be distracted by technology - smartphone use, texting, playing around with a CD player - than other drivers, as well as far more likely to lose control of their cars when engaged in these distractions.
Partly due to lack of experience, teens are less likely to recognize upcoming hazards and more likely to panic when they do become aware of such hazards.
Teens tend to be overconfident in their driving abilities, making them more likely to take dangerous risks.
Alcohol and drug use will impair the driving abilities of teens at lower concentrations than in adults.

Regardless of the cause of the accident that injured you or your loved one, our auto accident attorneys have the resources and skills to help. We will fight for the full measure of compensation you deserve, ensuring that your medical bills, physical therapy costs, lost wages, and other losses and expenses are covered.