According to the latest report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), young drivers have accounted for nearly one-fifth of all deaths on U.S. roads.
Based on previous studies, young drivers, which include ages 15 to 20, lack the driving experience that most older drivers possess. They also are not as mature as older drivers and may participate in driving behavior that is considered risky.
Programs have been created that educate young drivers about the dangers on the roads and discourage risk-taking behavior. These graduated driver licensing programs have been effective, yet, there are still too many deaths caused by car accidents among young people.
The NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts: Fatal Crashes Involving Young Drivers report, included the following alarming statistics:
Young people ages 15 to 20 accounted for 9 percent of the population in the United States in 2007. That same year, 19 percent of traffic deaths in the United States were linked to car accidents and young drivers.
Nearly two-thirds of the people who were fatally injured in these young-driver auto accidents were the young drivers themselves or the passengers.
Among the passengers killed in these car accidents, 67 percent were in the same 15 to 20 age group.
More than half of the fatal car accidents involving young drivers occurred on rural roads.
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20-year olds.
If you have been injured in a Houston car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. You should contact an experienced Houston car accident lawyer at the law firm of Steven M. Lee, PC at 713-921-4171 or 800-232-3711 for legal advice. Attorney Steve Lee has represented tens of thousands of clients in the last 35 years from the same location.