You should be wary of teen drivers

Teenagers have a well-earned reputation for recklessness behind the wheel. According to many sources, teens make up a large portion of drivers in single and multi-car accidents every year. In proportion with the numbers of teens who can drive versus other age groups, their impact on driving fatality statistics is extreme.

Why are teenagers more dangerous drivers?

Teenaged drivers increase the risk of an accident for everyone on the road. The reasons for this increased danger can be traced to a few different factors:

• Inexperience: New drivers may have just finished their driver training, but that doesn’t mean they know how to drive well. They may not understand the unwritten rules of the roads and lack the experience it takes to manage a bad Colorado winter.
• Risk–taking behavior: Teenagers are hormonal and young, and that tends to lead to risky behavior. These risks could include substance use, but could also be loud music, conversations and over-loaded vehicles.
• Distracted driving: Studies show that distracted driving is a special hazard for younger drivers. In fact, it often is associated with other problematic driving behaviors.

Combined, these factors make teen drivers a unique risk on the road and one that every driver should consider.

How to decrease bad teen driving?

There are many ways for a society to attempt to mitigate the dangers of teen drivers. Education can work. Parents taking a more active role in their kid’s driving is another. Restrictive driving licenses work at times, as well.

Unfortunately, every precaution taken as a society may not protect you or your family from a teen driver’s inexperience and recklessness. However, that doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do if you have injuries caused by a teen driver.