Teen Car Accidents On the Rise in Florida
Anyone who gets behind the wheel is at risk of being involved in a car accident, but certain populations have a higher than average tendency to cause crashes. Teenagers fall squarely under this category, a trend that is largely attributed to their lack of experience and skill and general immaturity. Nationally, teenage drivers were involved in almost 1,000,000 crashes in 2018. Unfortunately, this rise in teen car accidents is also a problem in Florida, with teen drivers involved in almost 60,000 crashes during the same period of time. Tragically, more than 2,000 of those accidents were fatal, making Florida the fifth most dangerous state for teen drivers. While these accidents can happen at any time, the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day has proven to be especially dangerous and is now even termed the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers.
Why are Teen Drivers More Likely to Cause Car Accidents?
A lot of the accidents caused by teen drivers in Florida are attributed to driver inexperience, which makes sense when you consider the fact that teen drivers may have only gotten behind the wheel a handful of times when they get their licenses. Because they have less experience and familiarity with traffic laws, teen drivers are more likely to speed, wear their seat belts less, and are more easily distracted, especially if their friends are in the car. In fact, teens are two and a half times more likely to engage in risky behavior when driving with teenage peers than when driving alone. This likelihood increases even further (to three times) when teens are traveling with multiple passengers.
How Teen Drivers Can Lower Their Chances of Causing a Crash
Just because a driver is a teen and inexperienced does not mean that he or she is bound to cause a crash. There are, in fact, a lot of steps that young drivers can take to avoid being the cause of a car crash, including:
- Practicing driving with an experienced driver;
- Implementing a pre-drive checklist that involves setting up playlists, setting the GPS, and putting away distractions;
- Monitoring their speed constantly;
- Always wearing their seat belts;
- Avoiding driving with passengers for the first six months after obtaining their license;
- Practicing defensive driving; and
- Avoiding driving at night or during peak traffic hours.
Unfortunately, taking these steps doesn’t guarantee that a teen won’t be involved in or cause an accident. In these cases, injured parties may be able to recover reimbursement for their accident-related losses, including compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage, and even pain and suffering.
Were You Hurt in a Car Crash in Florida?
If you were injured in an accident caused by a teen driver and you believe that negligence or recklessness was the cause, please reach out to the experienced Tampa car accident lawyers at Anderson & Anderson to set up a meeting. Call us at 813-251-0072 or contact us online and we’ll get started on evaluating your case right away.
Sources:
fdot.gov/agencyresources/deadliestdays
news-press.com/story/news/2023/06/07/teenager-driving-statistics-florida-safety-tips/70295629007/
