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Attorney Gregory DiLeo and staff

Distracted driving accidents high among teens

On Behalf of | Feb 26, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Paying attention to changing traffic patterns and road rules is an integral part of ensuring one’s own safety on the roads, in addition to the safety of everyone else. Unfortunately, teenagers are less likely to keep their attention on the road, and this results in fatal distracted driving car accidents in New Orleans, as well as the rest of the country.

How likely is it that teens will be involved in car accidents?

More than 2,500 teenagers died on American roadways in 2017. In 2018, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 accounted for 63% of fatalities in motor vehicle accidents. Per mile driven, drivers in this age range are three times more likely to be in a crash than their counterparts over the age of 20.  If a teen driver has passengers in their car, the chance they are involved in a deadly crash doubles. The largest majority of distracted drivers are below the age of 20.

How did COVID add to distracted driving?

While roadways were emptier during the pandemic over the last year, car crashes did not go down. In fact, a lower volume of traffic spurred all drivers, including teenagers, to go faster. Already inexperienced behind the wheel, a teen’s attention span was also most likely reduced due to the anxiety caused by the health crisis. Studies have shown teenagers are significantly more depressed and anxious, and this has caused their reaction time on the road to slow down. An increase in digital dependency caused the number of car accidents to go up by more than 60% , as phone usage has gone up by 17%.

A distracted driving accident is one that is almost always avoidable, which is why it is frustrating to be injured in one caused by someone else’s negligence. The resulting medical expenses can be staggering and it might be possible to cover them through a personal injury lawsuit holding the negligent party accountable for their risky driving behavior.