Contrary to what many believe, pickup trucks may not necessarily be the safest vehicles for teenage motorists, and teen motorists traveling with just one person in the car are not at a lower risk of an accident than those with more teen passengers in the car. That information comes via a new study conducted by researchers at the University Of Texas.
The researchers were trying to find what causes typically aggressive driving behavior among teenagers, with a special focus on external factors, like the type of vehicle. What they found was surprising. The researchers found that driving a pickup truck actually places a teenage motorist aged between 16 and 17 at a higher risk of an accident, than a teenager driving a passenger vehicle. Other experts have typically claimed that teenagers who drive sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks have a lower risk of injuries, because of the size of these vehicles. As this study shows, that may not necessarily be true. In fact, the more powerful the vehicle, the higher the risk of accidents involving a teen motorist.
The other interesting fact to emerge from the study was that teenagers who had just one passenger in the car are actually at a higher risk of an accident than those with multiple teen passengers. The researchers have an explanation for this too. They believe that a teen motorist with a single passenger is likely continuously distracted, trying to entertain the passenger.
The study also revealed several facts that are no surprise to NewYork car accident lawyers. Drunk driving continues to be a major factor in teen accidents, even though many of the teenage drivers surveyed in the study were aware of the risks of driving under the influence. The standard recommendations for preventing teen accidents are also the same – restrict passengers in your child’s car, get more involved in boosting your child’s driving skills by signing up for a parental orientation course, and set nighttime restrictions till you believe your child can handle the challenges of driving in poor visibility.