The United States’ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) recently announced its new safety initiative designed to decrease the number of fatalities involving teenagers. According to NHTSA, motor vehicle accidents claim the lives of more teenagers aged 14 to 18 than does any other cause. In 2011, 2,105 teenagers died in motor vehicle accidents.
The topics covered in the initiative, “5 to Drive” include refraining from cell phone use and avoiding texting while driving; limiting extra passengers in the car; avoiding speeding; avoiding the use of alcohol before or during driving; and ensuring the use of a seat belt. The topics are designed to address the common characteristics attributing to teenager motor vehicle fatalities—inexperience and immaturity.
In terms of contributors to fatal accidents involving teenagers, in 2011, twenty-seven percent of all fatalities involved teenaged drivers with positive blood-alcohol concentrations. This figure represents an increase from twenty-four percent in 2007. Speeding is also a large contributor to fatal accidents involving teenagers. From 2007 to 2011, the percentage of fatalities involving speeding remained constant at thirty-five percent. Finally, the most staggering statistic of all is that in over half—approximately fifty-three percent—of all fatal accidents, the teenagers that were killed were not wearing safety belts.
In fatal car accidents involving teenagers, forty percent of those fatalities involved the driver of the motor vehicle. Twenty-eight percent involved occupants in a motor vehicle operated by a teenager. Finally, twenty-four percent of fatalities involved occupants in motor vehicles driven by someone else. Most of these accidents occurred between three and five o’clock in the afternoon, with another spike during late-night hours.
NHTSA regularly publishes a report addressing, among other things, strategies to reduce accidents involving teenaged drivers. One of the most effective of these strategies includes introducing a system of graduated driver’s licenses. According to NHTSA, all states have implemented such graduated licensing systems, although they vary from state to state. The graduated licensing systems involves three stages—a learner’s permit, an intermediate license, and a full license. Other equally effective strategies include restrictions on the number of passengers in the motor vehicle and restrictions on nighttime driving. Other less effective strategies include limitations on the use of cell phones and requiring the use of seat belts.
Parents are encouraged to set ground rules early and ensure consistent enforcement. In fact, NHTSA recommends using a driving contract with teenaged drivers. The contract should clearly indicate ground rules and should also clearly set forth the consequences for breaking the ground rules. Suggested rules include zero-tolerance on the use of alcohol; always use a seat belt; no cell phone use while driving; no driving after 10 p.m.; and allowing only one passenger at a time.
Talking with teenagers about traffic safety early on, before they start driving, is also key. Parents are reminded that driver’s education classes cannot cover every aspect of safe driving and that parents need to be actively involved in educating their teenagers about safe driving habits. Finally, NHTSA recommends modeling safe driving behaviors while your teenagers are in the care—no cell phone use, use of seatbelts, avoid speeding, and the like.
Barrett Law, PLLC has been representing the rights of individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents for decades, and will continue to do so for decades into the future. If you or someone you love has been injured as a resulting of a motor vehicle accident, please contact our firm today at (601) 790-1505 to schedule an initial, no-cost consultation.
