teen drivers

Published on: December 17, 2024

Are Teen Drivers Now Safer Than Before?

Teen drivers have traditionally been regarded some of the most inexperienced and dangerous drivers out there. Here’s how Gen Z may be challenging that narrative.

New data shows that Gen Z, or the generation born between 1997 and 2012, may be some of the safest teen drivers in several decades. According to the data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Gen Z teens who received their licenses in 2012 -the first Gen Z teens to receive their licenses – were less likely to be involved in car accidents compared to driver’s license holders in previous generations.

This is in spite of the fact that Gen Z is one of the most technologically adept generations, and has grown up with 24/7 access to smartphones and technology in cars. With all the technology and distractions available in a car, you would think that teen drivers are now the most distracted of all drivers, and, therefore, some of the most dangerous on the roads. The data actually finds that that may not be true at all, at least relative to the accident risks of previous generations of teen drivers. This generation of teenage driver seems to have lower accident rates compared to previous generations of teenage motorists.

Published on: July 6, 2023

Experts: Size and Speed — Key Factors When Choosing Car for a Teen Driver

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While many teen drivers operate their cars safely, other teen drivers have an enhanced risk of auto accidents. Therefore, parent must be careful when it comes to buying a car for their teenager.

Whether you are buying a car for a newly licensed teen driver or a car for a teen driver with a couple years driving experience under their belt, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports have a list of the safest cars to buy for teen motorists in America. The list contains both used as well as new cars, and the researchers have gone to great lengths to find affordable cars considering the high price of cars in the market right now.

So what do you look for when you buy a car for your young driver? For most parents, the biggest considerations are price and safety. The list provides several options of care that should be within your budget, but also relatively safe.

Published on: October 5, 2021

Auto Tech Could Significantly Reduce Teen Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Teen drivers have some of the highest accident risks. When a teenager is driving a car that is equipped with the latest safety tech, however, those accident risks reduce significantly.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted a study on the effectiveness of crash avoidance technologies and other safety systems on the accident risks of teen motorists. The study found that these technologies, if mandated on all automobiles, could prevent as many as 75% of all accidents involving teen motorists. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study results show that while it is not possible to reduce teen accident rates by 100%, it is possible to significantly reduce the risks of teen motorists being involved in accidents by getting them cars that are equipped with lane departure warning systems, forward collision avoidance systems and other car safety technologies.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that teen motorists have a risk of being involved in accidents that is as much as four times higher than for adult drivers. There are several reasons for those higher accident risks. Teen motorists have fewer years of experience successfully navigating traffic and crash risks. Additionally, teen motorists are more likely to be impulsive and may lack the critical judgment and reasoning skills that are necessary to avoid accidents. Teens are also more likely to be susceptible to crashes involving drunk driving and speeding. Passengers in the car also constitute a huge distraction for a teen motorist. All these factors combined significantly increase teen motorist crash risks.

Published on: June 15, 2016

60% of Teenage Driver Accidents Involve Distracted Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Distractions play a major part in accidents involving teenage drivers. However, the impact of distraction on teen safety may be much higher than earlier believed. According to a new report by AAA, about 60% of all teen driver car accidents involve distractions of some kind.

The American Automobile Association says that most teenage drivers involved in accidents are talking on the cell phone, texting, or engaged in other distractions while driving. These other distractions include talking to passengers in the car.

The study found that 15% of accidents involving teenage drivers can be traced to talking to passengers.

Published on: July 26, 2015

Simulation Shows Teen Drivers Have Higher Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Even after a teenage driver has acquired a license, his or her driving skills may continue to be below that of older drivers.A recent study put a number of teenage motorists who had acquired a full license through a simulated driving test, and found that many of the teen drivers crashed in the task.

The teenagers went through the 35-minute driving assessment which included replications of the most common accident scenarios.Approximately four out of every 10 newly licensed drivers crashed in the test, and according to researchers, this suggests that they lacked the critical driving skills that they needed to stay safe while driving in a real-world environment.Data also showed that approximately 29% of the adult drivers crashed in the test, while among teen drivers, the crash rate was more than 49%.

This suggests that even after they obtain a full license, most teen motorists lack the critical driving abilities required to stay safe on the roads. Teenagers who had just obtained a license, the researchers found, were good at the basics, but lacked the ability to identify accident cues in their environment, and react immediately to such hazards. That placed them and their passengers at a high risk of being involved in a motor vehicle collision.

Published on: March 20, 2015

Alcohol, Marijuana Involved in Half of All Accidents Involving Teens, Young Adults

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Alcohol and drugs are a leading cause of death involving persons in the 18-25 age group in the United States. However, a new study indicates that alcohol and drug use may be much more prominent factors in car accidents involving teenagers and young adult motorists.

According to a new study, 50% of all deaths involving teenagers and young adults in car accidents involve the use of alcohol or marijuana. In fact, researchers who conducted the study expressed concerns that the growing wave of legalization of marijuana around the country could spell disaster for young motorist safety. These motorists are already at a higher risk of alcohol use, drug use, and other kinds of dangerous driving practices. The researchers speculate that the increasing availability of marijuana and easing of restrictions on the use of pot have not had any effect on the popularity of alcohol among these drivers.

The study found that accident victims above the age of 21 were much more likely than younger victims to be driving with a combination of marijuana and alcohol in their system. About 50.3%, of young motorists who died were either stoned or drunk at the time of their accidents. In total, 37% of the motorists tested positive for alcohol at the time of their deaths, while 5.9% tested positive for marijuana. In 7.6% of the cases, the motorists had both alcohol and marijuana in their system.

Published on: March 13, 2015

Young Adults More Likely to Suffer Serious Injuries in Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It’s a fact that young adults and teenagers are at a much higher risk of accidents and injuries. Studies also indicate that this group of drivers is more likely to be injured severely in accidents.

A new study finds that young adults and teenagers are much more likely to suffer critical injuries that require them to be rushed to hospital emergency rooms after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. Those findings came from a study of data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study found that there were 4 million emergency room visits after accidents in 2010-2011. In fact, auto accidents accounted for approximately 10% of all emergency room visits across the country.

Age was a common factor in most of the persons who were rushed to ERs after being involved in an accident. For every 10,000 persons rushed to ERs for treatment after an accident, 286 persons were between the age of 16 and 24. Among persons above 65, the rate was just 65 for 10,000 persons, and in the case of persons below the age of 18, the rate was 70 for every 10,000 persons.

Published on: October 23, 2014

National Teen Driver Safety Week 2014: Part 2

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

National Teen Driver Safety Week is going on now! In part one of this post, we talked about the disturbingly high rate of teenager traffic fatalities and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “5 to drive” rules to keep teen drivers safe. In today’s post we will examine graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws.

GDL laws have proved effective in reducing crash rates for young teenage drivers, particularly 16- and 17-year-olds. These laws put more restrictions on younger teenage drivers that gradually lift as they age and gain more driving experience. GDL programs permit new drivers to gain experience by limiting their exposure to risky situations, such as driving at night or with multiple passengers, before getting full driving privileges.

In general, GDL laws do not apply to teenagers who begin driving at age 18 or older. Today a significant number of teens are waiting to get their licenses, so they are not subject to the restrictions of the GDL laws. Two new studies by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety suggest that not only do GDL laws help reduce accidents for drivers under 18, but that they could be beneficial for new drivers 18 and older. Inexperience is a major cause of accidents, even more so than age, and while 18-year-old beginner drivers may be more mature, they are still inexperienced.

Published on: October 17, 2014

National Teen Driver Safety Week 2014: Part 1 of 2

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Despite what teenagers may believe, they are not the best drivers. Tragically, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. In many cases, the teenagers who died were behind the wheel.

Since it was established by Congress in 2007, National Teen Driver Safety Week has been observed in the third week of October. This year it runs from October 19 to 26. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which sponsors the program, is emphasizing the importance of parents in taking a proactive role to keep their teens safe.

During last year’s campaign, the NHTSA introduced the “5 to drive” program–five key rules for teens to be safe drivers. The rules address the major causes of accidents for young drivers.

Published on: April 7, 2014

What Parents Can Do to Prevent Their Teens from Driving Drunk

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), a teenage motorist driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% is approximately 17 times more likely be involved in an accident.This is a category of motorists that research has shown to be inexperienced, more susceptible to peer pressure, and more likely to engage in risky driving.When alcohol or other intoxicants are added to the mix, the risks of an accident significantly increase.

The CDC believes that reducing the risk of teenage drunk driving accidents should not be dependent on federal, state, and local law enforcement alone, but is also the responsibility of communities, schools and parents.Recently, another new study illustrated just how strong peer pressure can be in influencing teenagers to drink and drive.The study clearly found that when high school seniors had friends in their social circle who drove intoxicated, they were much more likely to do the same.When teenagers have friends who engage in self-destructive behaviors, those same behaviors seem cool to an impressionable young adult.

If you’re the parent of a teenage motorist, it’s also important to understand that there is no such thing as social drinking for a teenage motorist.Most teenagers who drink do so to feel buzzed.Therefore, expecting teenagers to go out, drink, and yet remain sober is unrealistic.Binge drinking is far more popular among teenagers than with any other category of motorists, and teenagers are much more likely to drink irresponsibly.