The Foundation for Traffic Safety, an organization run by AAA, has released the results of research in advance of National Teen Driver Safety Week. Drivers in New York should be aware that the risk of fatalities for teen drivers is lower when they are driving with more experienced drivers in the vehicle. Specifically, when a teen driver has only teenage passengers in the car, the rate of fatalities for all people in an accident is 51 percent higher.
If there are passengers in the car who are 35 years old or older, by contrast, the fatality rate overall drops by 8 percent. AAA concluded that these statistics highlight the importance for teen drivers to have sufficient driver training with supervision. In 2016, there were more than 1 million reported crashes with teen drivers; these crashes resulted in greater than 3,200 fatalities.
According to researchers, when teens were driving with only teenage passengers, crash fatalities increased 56 percent for people in the other vehicles, 45 percent for the teenage driver and 17 percent for cyclists and pedestrians. Fatality rates also increased for teen drivers when factors like driving at night or speeding were examined. The AAA Chicago director of public affairs said that teens don’t have the experience of others when it comes to driving, so the odds of a car accident death increase. AAA recommended that teenagers be required to complete no fewer than 100 hours of supervised driving practice before they drive alone.
When a person is killed in a car accident, his or her family might be able to bring claims for wrongful death. An attorney with experience in cases involving motor vehicle accidents might be able to help by gathering evidence and building a case for trial or by identifying parties who may have liability for damages.