Is Peer Pressure Putting Your Teenager at Risk for a Car Accident?
by
Christopher Hoffmann on Oct. 10, 2014
Accident & Injury Accident & Injury Car Accident Accident & Injury Personal Injury
Summary: Teenagers are under a tremendous amount of pressure from their friends and classmates to act a certain way.
The desire to fit in can cross over to the way they handle themselves when behind the wheel. Automobile accidents remain the number one cause of death for young people aged 15 to 20. The incidence of accidents with teenagers increases when they are driving with a friend or group of friends. Teenaged boys in particular are prone to drive recklessly under these circumstances; speeding, disobeying traffic signals, and driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Teens, Cell Phones, and Cars
The popularity of cell phones and texting over the last decade is responsible for a surge in distracted driving accidents involving teenagers. Over a third of all drivers ages 16 and 17 admit to sending and reading text messages while they are behind the wheel of their car, while more than half admit to talking on their cell phone. Teenaged drivers make up the largest percentage of drivers who engage in distracted driving practices. Cell phones and texting are largely responsible for this. Before handing over the keys to a teenager, it is imperative that they understand the importance of not using their phone or paying attention to texts while they are driving.
Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol
Despite huge efforts to educate teenagers on its dangers, 25% of them will still drive while under the influence of alcohol. A third of the accidents involving teenagers that result in a fatality are attributed to alcohol use. 27% of these drivers were male teenaged drivers, while 15% were female.
Scary Statistics
The NHTSA reports that in 2012, 2,823 automobile accidents involved people between the ages of 13 and 19. This accounted for 8% of all accidents that year. As a result, 2,228 teenagers died. This high number of fatalities may be contributed to the high speed at which teenagers being influenced by peer pressure will often drive at. When you combine the inexperience of a teenaged driver with peer pressure, alcohol, and distracting devices, a very dangerous situation is created.
Speak with a St. Louis car accident attorney if you have been injured in a car accident caused by a young driver to help you in receiving your rightful compensation. Call The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. at (314) 361-4242.
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