With more free time not their hands, teens drive more often during the summer months which can increase their risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the number of crash incidents involving teens goes up dramatically and, unfortunately, sometimes teens and other motorists are injured or killed.
When looking back over a five year period spanning 2013 to 2017, there were 3,500 fatalities involving teen drivers. In a review of Iowa crash fatalities, nearly 500 people were killed on Iowa roadways involving a teen driver in the last 10 years. Although certainly inexperience can sometimes lead to accidents, the leading causes of deadly crashes involving teens are speeding, alcohol impairment and perhaps, but not so surprising, distracted driving in the age of hand held technology.
In a recent survey, 50 percent of teens admit speeding on residential streets in the last 30 days and a third say they exceed speed limits on highways. Although teens are not of legal age to consume alcohol, one in 16 teens involved in fatal accidents tested positive for alcohol. As for distracted driving, in 2018 alone, there were over a 1000 crashes attributed to distracted driving, many involving teens.
Efforts to educate teens on the dangers they face while driving are of great importance. Teens should be encouraged to follow speed limits, avoid driving impaired, and limit distractions while driving in order to stay safe and ensure the safety of other motorists and pedestrians. Raising awareness in the teen population can save lives.
If you or a family member are injured in a car accident involving a teen driver or any distracted driving motor vehicle accident, contact the law offices of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson PC for immediate assistance today at 563-355-5478.