Teenagers in Louisiana and across the country have probably looked forward to this year’s summer after many months of social distancing and lockdowns through 2020. However, with summertime comes the 100 deadliest days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research, chances of being involved in fatal car accidents are three times higher for 16- and 17-year-old teenage drivers than for adult drivers during this time.
If you are a parent of a teenage driver, you might be interested in the research results on the 100 deadliest days. A spokesperson for AAA says teenagers have more free, unstructured time to spend driving during the summer break. They urge teens to focus on safe driving and buckle up when they take to the roads.
Parents play a significant role in the way their children drive
As a parent, you could play an essential role in the driving behaviors of your teen driver. Being the role model might prevent your child’s involvement in car accidents that could have catastrophic consequences. You might even arrange a course for comprehensive driving education to prepare your teenager for the dangers of driving.
Common factors that claim teen drivers’ lives
According to an AAA survey, three in every 10 fatal car accidents involving teenage drivers link to excessive speed. Furthermore, driving instructors confirm that by reporting that speed is near the top of the list of mistakes teenage drivers make during driving lessons.
Teen drivers who wear their seat belts are at reduced risks of suffering severe injuries or dying in car accidents. Research from 2015 indicated that 60% of teen drivers who lost their lives in car accidents did not buckle up. Subsequent data reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2019 states that, of more than 22,000 deaths in fatal crashes in 2019, 47% were not wearing seat belts.
The third and most prevalent cause of fatal car accidents is driving while distracted. Of every 10 teenage car accident deaths, six resulted from distractions. While mobile phones are often the object of distraction, interacting with other teen passengers is equally dangerous.
If you continue to be your child’s role model after he or she gets a driver’s license, he or she can avoid all these dangerous driving behaviors. Unfortunately, many teen drivers do not realize that experience is necessary to become a good driver.
You may also want to make sure your child is aware of the consequences if they cause car accidents with injuries or deaths. You, as the parent or owner of the vehicle, could be accountable for your child’s negligence. Along with your teen driver, you might face civil lawsuits when victims of your child’s negligence seek damage recovery.
On the other hand, many teenage passengers of negligent teen drivers suffer injuries in car accidents due to the driver’s negligence. When this happens to your child, you might have grounds to pursue financial relief by filing a lawsuit in a Louisiana civil court.