Temperance: Teen Car Accidents Awareness

By: Joan Guevarra
Submitted: 2009-10-20 17:53:20
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 41,059 people lost their lives and 2.5 million more were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2007.

Persons aged 21-24 years old yielded the highest fatality rate while those aged 16-20 years old had the highest injury rate.

This shows that teen car accidents are the most common among motor vehicle mishaps, and sadly, the most fatal. More teenagers have died from car accidents than through other means such as homicide and suicide.

To further highlight the gravity of the situation, here are some teen driving statistics:

•    A total of 4,946 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2007.
•    About 2 out of every 3 teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2007 were males.
•    Based on crashes of all severities, the crash rate per mile driven for 16-19 year-olds is 4 times the risk for older drivers.
•    The risk is the highest at age 16, when the crash rate (per mile driven) is twice that of 18 year-olds and 19-year-olds.
•    Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive.
•    Eighty-four percent of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths in 2007 were passenger vehicle occupants.

There are many factors involved in teen car accidents. While the negligence or fault of another driver can be a factor, the teen driver’s own error is the often the proximate cause.

Low risk perception – Young, novice drivers tend to underestimate the crash risk in hazardous situations and overestimate their ability to avoid the threats they identify. In addition, identifying potential hazards especially while driving is an acquired skill gained from experience which most teenage drivers lack.

 Risk Taking Behavior- Teenagers tend to take more risks while driving partly due to their overconfidence in their driving abilities. Young novice drivers are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like speeding, running red lights, violating traffic signs and signals, making illegal turns, passing dangerously, and texting while driving.

Lack of skill- Because they are novices, teenage drivers have not yet completely mastered basic vehicle handling skills and safe-driving knowledge they need to drive safely. This is also related to the incidence of teen car accidents at night. The per mile crash rate for teenage drivers is 3 times higher after 9:00 pm during the day. This is because the task of driving at night is more difficult; they have less experience driving at night than during the day and they are more sleep deprived.

Alcohol and drugs- In most car accidents, driving under the influence is a leading cause for crashes. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is fatal for teenagers. Teenagers who drink and drive are at much greater risk of serious crashes than are older drivers with equal concentrations of alcohol in their blood. This is related to teenagers’ low risk perception, risk-taking behavior and lack of skill.

Carrying passengers- The risk of being in a crash increases 3.6 times higher when drivers aged 16-17 years have passengers as compared when they drive alone. Passengers who are age peers may distract the teen drivers and encourage them to take more risks, especially for young males riding with young male drivers.

Teen car accidents are a tragic loss. The above-mentioned factors, if truly taken into consideration by most teenage drivers would a substantial decrease in teen car fatalities.

Teenage drivers should bear in mind that for them, life is just beginning. There is no need to rush through life because a mindset like that would trigger speeding, aggressive driving and even alcohol abuse. One mistake could end it all and there is nothing you can do to bring back a person’s life.

Article source: Expert Articles