According to AAA researchers, the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers stretches from Memorial Day through Labor Day with teen drivers responsible for 1,000 deaths during this time frame over the last five years.
During summer, more teens are on the road while engaging in recreational driving. The death toll affiliated with teen driver car accidents amounts to 10 deaths per day, highlighting a 16 percent spike when compared with the rest of the year.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted a Lytx DriveCam study and found that driver distractions such as texting and talking on mobile devices are responsible for almost 60 percent of crashes. Dash-cameras also captured 2,200 serious to severe collisions caused by teen drivers.
Engagement in risky behavior increased when teens had passengers in their vehicles. Researchers found that teen drivers implicated in crashes were more often distracted by the other passengers. Passenger distractions accounted for 15 percent of accidents. Technology use accounted for 12 percent of the fatal collisions. Cell phones distracted teens for shorter periods of time, like when sending a text, while passengers distracted them for the trip’s duration.
However, texting or using a cell phone when driving can still be deadly. The research director of the AAA Foundation warns that teens simply went from dangerous activity to another when they made phones calls then switched to taking their hands off the wheel to text.
Parents need to be aware that the dangers associated with teen cell phone usage are documented realities, but so are the dangers of too many vehicle passengers.
If your loved one was injured or died in a Cincinnati car accident due to another driver’s negligence, contact the experienced auto accident attorneys at O’Connor, Acciani and Levy. A Cincinnati personal injury lawyer from our law firm can help to determine if you may be eligible to file a lawsuit, and receive compensation for your pain and suffering, along with lost wages, medical expenses and more.