Summer and graduation means more fatal car accidents with teen drivers

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Wednesday, June 8, 2016

When school is out for summer in Massachusetts, teenagers have more free time, and that means more time driving vehicles. The American Automobile Association labels the summer season following Memorial Day as the 100 deadliest days. When AAA studied data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the past several years, the organization found that approximately 1,000 people died in car crashes involving teenage drivers during this time period around the country. Compared to other seasons, summer creates a 16 percent increase in the average number of deaths in teen motor vehicle crashes. Distracted driving plays a significant role. One study based on video evidence from inside vehicles found that 15 percent of crashes arose from the driver talking to passengers and 12 percent of accidents involved cellphone usage. Texting has proven by far to be the most dangerous distraction. According to information published by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, a texting driver presents a crash risk 23 times greater than a driver who pays attention to the road. Texting behavior among teens is very high. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that over half of teens send text messages every day. While many car crashes are due to outside causes such as defective parts or uneven road surfaces, the vast majority are caused by human factors. Distracted, speeding or drunk drivers can leave injured victims facing high medical expenses and other losses, and having the assistance of a personal injury attorney may be advisable when trying to pursue appropriate compensation.