New York City personal injury lawyers know teens are at high risk of being involved in serious or fatal car accidents. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports car accidents are the leading cause of death for all young people ages 15 to 20.
And we frequently report on the issue on our New York Injury Lawyer Blog, But what is less often emphasized is that many victims of car accidents involving teenagers are just that — innocent victims. In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports teen drivers account for just one-third of the 181 people killed in accidents with young drivers. Another 120 victims were passengers in a teen’s car, occupants of another vehicle or non-occupants, such as bicyclists or pedestrians.
Health News Digest reports a new study State Farm Insurance and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia report more than 681,000 people are involved in accidents with teenagers each year and more than 41,000 are seriously injured.
“When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of the teens behind the wheel. We must also consider the significant impact of these crashes on other members of our communities: occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road-users,” says Dennis Durbin, a co-author of the report. “Whether or not we have a teen driver in our family, we should all care about this issue. This report provides a concrete way to measure the effectiveness of laws, education, and other programs in reducing teen crashes and their impact on communities.”
Researchers found the most common driving behaviors leading to accident or injury among teens were drunk driving, failure to wear seat belts, distracted driving and speeding.
“Reducing speeding and alcohol use, increasing seat belt use, and eliminating distractions for teen drivers are the four calls-to-action we see in this report that would have great impact on reducing injuries and fatalities for all road users,” says Dr. Durbin, who is also an emergency physician. “More than half of teens who were fatally injured in crashes were speeding, 40 percent had a positive blood alcohol level, more than half were not wearing seat belts, and 16 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.”
Tragically, car accidents continue to kill more teens than homicide, suicide and cancer combined. Please speak to your teens often about the importance of making good driving decisions. Tell them to call for a ride before getting into a vehicle with an unsafe driver or a friend who has been drinking.
If you have been injured in a car accident in the New York City or Long Island areas, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose to discuss your rights. Call 718.261.0549.
