One of the most exciting aspects of turning 16 is finally being a licensed driver. For the parents of teenage drivers, the feelings are decidedly different. Fear, apprehension, and worry are the common emotions that are brought up over this new privilege. This is hardly surprising when you consider that car accidents are the number one cause of fatalities for teenagers. Though teenage drivers make up only 14% of the United States population, they have the highest risk of being involved in an automobile accident in Georgia and across the country.

If you have a teenager who has been injured in a car accident in Georgia, you may be eligible to bring a personal injury suit against the other driver. Every parent wants to make sure their child stays safe and doesn’t end up as another statistic. By understanding the risks and contacting a Georgia car accident lawyer, you can help protect them against dangerous car crashes in Georgia.

Lack of Experience

Teen drivers are the most likely to underestimate dangerous circumstances such as driving on wet roads. Because of this underestimation, they are also more likely to make critical decision errors while they are behind the wheel. Time and practice are the only things that will provide a teen driver with necessary experience. In the meantime, it’s important that they are familiar with the rules of the road and safety procedures in order to minimize their chances of being involved in a car wreck.

Speeding and Following Distance

Teenagers are the age group with the highest instances of speeding. They are also more likely than most other age groups to follow the car in front of them too closely, increasing their risk of a collision. In 2016, 32% of male teenage drivers were involved in crashes due to driving at excessive speeds. Ensuring that teens understand the importance of speed limits and of abiding by the two-second rule could prevent many unnecessary collisions.

Disregarding Seatbelts

When compared to other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use of all drivers. In 2017, only 59% of teenagers said that they routinely wear their seatbelt when they get into a car as a driver or as a passenger. Making sure that teens understand how seatbelts are not only the law but also save lives can prevent needless death should they be involved in a car crash wiith a vehicle or other object.

Drinking and Driving

Despite being underage, 15% of teen drivers that were involved in fatal car crashes in 2016 had a blood alcohol level that was above the legal .08% limit in Georgia. Those teens who had consumed alcohol before driving but were not over the legal limit made up 58% of car accident fatalities in 2016. A large portion of this group also overlapped with those not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision.

Teens need to understand not only the dangers of underage drinking but especially the life-altering ramifications of drinking and driving.

Georgia Car Accident Lawyer

If you live in Georgia and have a teen who was injured in a car accident, you need to contact a personal injury attorney right away. At the Nye Law Group, our skilled and experienced personal injury attorneys can help make sure that you get the most from your claim. The insurance companies are protecting their own by making sure they keep their payouts to the minimum. Don’t get shortchanged by a giant company. For a free case evaluation with one of our personal injury attorneys, please contact us at 912-200-5230.