Houston Car Accident Attorney on Teens and Trucks
Trucks aren’t necessarily a good idea for teens, as once was commonly believed.
Chandra Bhat, a professor of transportation engineering at the University of Texas, and graduate students Rajesh Paleti and Naveen Eluru recently conducted a study on Texas teens. They looked at the relationship between the time of day, number of passengers and type of vehicle, among other factors, and the severity of injuries in auto accidents.
According to the study, teen pickup drivers were far more likely to be injured in a traffic accident versus car drivers, especially 16- and 17-year-olds.
Teen drivers know the risks, and tell adults they don’t take any.
Bhat concluded, “Most of these pickup trucks, they have a very powerful engine, and a powerful engine capability appears to lead to aggressive driving behavior when the pickup is in the hands of a teenager.”
Also trucks, specifically older models, do not have as many safety features as sedans.
Drivers are reportedly most aggressive during morning rush hour, and young drivers, specifically 16- and 17-year-olds, take more risks.
Teens account for 15 percent of miles traveled to and from school but more than half of injuries and fatalities in school-related travel, Bhat said.
For teens, drunken driving is the leading cause of driving fatalities, but teens tend to take more risks than adults. The risks include: talking on the phone, running red lights, texting, speeding, tailgating, and cutting people off. Teens are also less likely to wear seat belts.
Possible remedies could range from parents taking courses on teen drinking to refresher driving courses at age 18.
In Texas all teen drivers must complete an approved driving class or parent-taught curriculum before they can earn a license. Is this enough?
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