Study finds that teen drivers primarily injure others

Car Accidents,Our Blog | June 7, 2016

Teen drivers can be a danger to others on the road, and California residents might like to know about the report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Teens are the age group with the highest rate of motor vehicle accidents, and almost two-thirds of those killed or injured in teen driving crashes are people besides the teen driver.

According to the report, 2,927 individuals were killed and 371,645 others were injured in 2013 accidents that involved a teen driver. The report looked at wrecks taking place from 1994 to 2013 where a driver was between the ages of 15 to 19. The findings showed that 17 percent of those injured and 27 percent of those killed were in the teen’s car while almost 50 percent of those injured and 30 percent of those killed were in another vehicle.

Although the number of teen accidents has decreased, a representative of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety noted that this is an important reminder about being careful when sharing the road with younger drivers. This is because teens drive the most in the summer, and the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day typically has a rise in teen crash fatalities.

Regardless of age, motorists have an obligation to others on the road to act safe and use caution. When a driver violates this obligation by acting negligently, he or she may be liable for the expenses that those who are injured incur as the result of a crash. An injured victim might consider consulting an attorney when a reckless driver caused a wreck so that he or she could receive compensation for damages like medical costs and lost work wages.