New York Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Driving comes with serious risks, especially for younger, less experienced drivers. While teens may look forward to the freedom, they may underestimate the potential dangers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle accidents remain among the leading causes of death for U.S. teenagers.
At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we’ve represented countless families whose lives were changed when their teens were in a traffic collision. With almost 40 years of experience handling motor vehicle accident and personal injury cases across New York, attorney Mark A. Siesel understands how to help when your family member has been injured. If your teen has been injured, reach out to our law firm for a free consultation.
Why Teen Drivers Are at Higher Risk
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drivers ages 16 to 19 are almost three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers aged 20 or older. The top contributing factors include:
- Driver inexperience. Teens have less time on the road and may not know how to respond to hazards, such as sudden stops, bad weather, heavy traffic, slippery roads, or aggressive drivers.
- Speeding and reckless driving. Teens are more likely to underestimate how long it takes to stop or overestimate their control of the vehicle.
- Distracted driving. Cell phones, social media, music, and even passengers are major distractions, and teen drivers have less experience dealing with these distractions.
- Impaired driving. Alcohol and drugs remain factors in many teen crashes, even among those below the legal drinking age.
- Failure to wear seatbelts. Teenagers are statistically less likely than adults to buckle up.
Some of these risk factors are caused by lack of experience. Teens may not have seen the deadly impact of distracted driving, for example. Some are caused by peer pressure. Young drivers may adopt the behaviors of their friends, and if their friends fail to wear seatbelts or drive after drinking, teen drivers may follow those leads to be accepted by their peer group.
Distracted Driving: A Growing Threat
Distracted driving is one of the most dangerous and preventable causes of teen crashes. Texting while driving, for instance, takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, which is long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 miles per hour.
Even talking hands-free can be dangerous because it reduces a driver’s situational awareness. According to the CDC, nearly 40 percent of high school students admit to texting or emailing while driving in the past month.
Distraction seems to be increasing, as well. Dr. Gloria Mark from the University of California, Irvine has studied distraction and has found that the average attention span has shrunk from an average of 75 seconds in 2012 to 47 seconds. Other studies have corroborated this finding, concluding that we are all more distracted, and teens are more distracted by social media and online activity.
Speeding and Reckless Behavior
Speeding is involved in nearly one-third of all fatal teen crashes. Younger drivers often misjudge how speed affects braking distance and reaction time. They may also feel pressure to keep up with peers or simply underestimate road conditions.
Research has shown that during the teenage years, our brains change. Many teens experience increased dopamine release during risk-taking behaviors, such as speeding, which can lead to more of those behaviors. In addition, many teens are exploring new experiences, asserting their independence, and may be facing peer pressure. All these factors can lead to risk-taking. When this happens on roadways, however, accidents can happen.
Driving While Impaired
Although alcohol and drug use among teens has declined in recent years, driving while intoxicated (DWI) remains a major cause of fatal crashes. Even small amounts of alcohol or marijuana can slow reaction times and impair coordination.
In New York, DWI is a criminal offense, and DWAI (driving while ability impaired) is a misdemeanor. Teens charged with these offenses face serious consequences.
The Hidden Dangers of Fatigue
Drowsy driving is another underestimated risk for teens. A lack of sleep is common among high school and college students and can impair judgment and slow reaction times just like alcohol. Studies show that staying awake for 18 hours can have the same effect on driving ability as having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 percent.
Building Safer Habits: How Parents Can Help
The best thing you can do as a parent is to make sure your teen has a solid foundation when it comes to driving. Making sure your teen driver gets solid driver training and has plenty of time to practice with a qualified driver or instructor can help form good driving habits that can last a lifetime. Here are a few more strategies that make a difference:
- Lead by example. Teens learn from watching how parents drive. Always wear your seatbelt, follow speed limits, drive sober, and avoid distractions.
- Set clear rules. Limit passengers, set curfews, and make it clear that alcohol or drug use will not be tolerated behind the wheel. Make sure that driving is a privilege and take away that privilege if your teen is driving dangerously.
- Practice regularly. Continue supervised driving even after your teen earns their license. If you notice your teen still needs help, consider additional lessons or defensive driving lessons.
- Discuss driving. Share stories about how poor choices can affect lives permanently. Ask whether your teen has questions about driving. Talk about the importance of driving carefully. Teens may automatically adopt the driving habits they see around them, so starting discussions about safety and driving can help them reflect on what kind of driver they want to be.
What to Do if Your Teen Is Injured in a Car Accident
Even the most responsible teen drivers can be involved in accidents caused by other negligent drivers. If your child is injured in a crash, here are the steps you will want to take.
- Get medical attention for your teen as soon as possible. Your teen may dismiss symptoms, but the signs of TBIs or internal injuries may appear hours or days later. Always visit a clinic or urgent care center to get a medical evaluation.
- Make sure your teen reports the accident. In New York, drivers are legally required to report crashes involving injuries or property damage under Section 600 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. Failing to report an accident involving personal injury can be charged as a misdemeanor, but your teen may not know this.
- Gather evidence. If your teen calls you after an accident, encourage them to get photos of the scene, if they can, insurance information from the other driver, witness contact information, and encourage them to write down what they remember. Make sure your teen keeps all evidence of the accident, including any receipts for expenses they face.
- Contact an experienced attorney. Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts, especially in claims involving young drivers. An attorney with decades of experience handling personal injury cases can ensure your child’s rights are protected.
At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we provide a free consultation to help you and your teen get answers. Our team has almost 40 years of experience with genuine compassion for our clients and their families. We return calls and emails within 24 business hours, often the same day, because we know how important communication and trust are during such difficult times.
The reality is that a car accident can affect your child for years to come. Your child may experience PTSD and anxiety, may face complex injuries, may miss school and work opportunities, and may even struggle with relationships and depression after a serious accident. Securing compensation can help your teen get the support and care they need, so they can face a promising future.
If your teen was injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, contact us today to schedule your free consultation. To reach us, call (914) 428-7386 or visit www.injurylawny.com.