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“Teenage drivers and their passengers are being killed and injured every day on our roadways. The loss of a young person in a motor vehicle accident is a tragedy we can stop. We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. want to remind parents about the high risks of deadly crashes for teens, especially during this holiday season,” said Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Six teens ages 16 to 19 die every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers between these same  ages are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).

WalletHub, a personal finance website, evaluated the track record of the individual states in the United States. The criteria used were:

• Number of teen driver fatalities
• Rate of teen driving violations for driving under the influence
• Number of teen drivers and miles traveled per capita
• Whether a state has strong traffic laws including provisions against texting while driving, and
• Other factors such as cost of car repairs and insurance.

Here are the states where teenagers fare best and worst, according to the WalletHub evaluation.

Although not the safest, but neither the most dangerous, Florida ranked in the middle (26) in the state evaluation.

Why are Teens More at Risk of a Deadly Crash?

There are eight danger zones which are the leading causes of teen crashes and deaths, according to the CDC. They are:

• Driver inexperience
• Driving with teen passengers
• Nighttime driving
• Not using seat belts
• Distracted driving
• Drowsy driving
• Reckless driving
• Impaired driving

Lack of Experience: The longer a person drives the more experience he/she achieves. Drivers with a lack of experience may underestimate dangerous situations and not recognize hazardous situations.

Distracted Driving: The AAA (American Automobile Association) reports that young people are among the most avid users of cell phones, smart phones and texting devices. More than half of teens polled reported to using a cell phone while driving and more than 1 in 4 teens reported typing or sending a text message while driving in the 30-day period surveyed.

Seat Belt Use: When comparing other groups, the CDC found in 2013 that only 55 percent of high school students reported they always wear seat belts when riding with someone else.

Impaired Driving: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that at all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens than for older drivers.

What Does AAA Recommend Parents of Teen Drivers Do?

“Parents play a critical role in preventing distracted driving. Here are tips you can use related to this key part of driving safety.

• Start by setting a good example with your own driving. As your teen pays more attention to your behavior behind the wheel, you don’t want to pass on bad habits. Keep your mobile devices stowed and focus on driving.
• As you begin to practice driving with your teen, do not allow a cell phone to be used in the vehicle by you    or your teen, make an effort to block out other distractions. Also, before your teen starts driving solo, adopt a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that lays out strict rules related to distraction.
• Explain to your teen driver how to minimize various potential distractions, such as eating, drinking, chatting with a passenger, reading a map, personal grooming, reaching for things in the car or looking at people or objects unrelated to the driving task.
• When you are supervising your teen’s practice driving, stay off the phone and help your teen pay attention to the road. Don’t make electronic distractions an acceptable part of driving.
• Prohibit your teen from riding with teen drivers or transporting other teens during the learning-to-drive process. One of the most dangerous sources of distraction for teen drivers, whether due to horseplay, loud music, rowdy behavior or peer pressure, is teen passengers. A AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that carrying passengers, particularly other teens, greatly increases crash risk for drivers under age 18.”

Fort Myers Vehicle Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.