Winter has certainly kept its grip on Chicagoland weather far into spring, but the warm winds of summer are heading our way. Soon, the roads will be chock full of drivers on the highways and byways of our state.
A significant number of them will be inexperienced and even first-time drivers. Sadly, many of the fatal crashes involving teens were linked to distracted driving. Read on to learn more about the collisions that involve our nation’s youngest drivers — teenagers.
Statistics are grim
In a single recent year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that distracted driving by teens was responsible for the following:
- 2,514 fatalities
- 8% of all fatal wrecks
- 12% of injuries in car accidents
- 11% of collisions reported by the police
- Total of 3,308 deaths in traffic collisions
- 289,310 people were injured in collisions
- 621 fatalities involving cyclists and pedestrians
No parent is ever prepared to lose a child in a horrific car wreck. But you can’t hide from reality even if it is difficult to accept.
Why are teens targeted?
In a word, inexperience. And while a 50-something housewife just learning to drive has the same inexperience behind the wheel as her teen counterparts, she is not likely to also be struggling with changes to her limbic system and prefrontal cortex.
These two areas are responsible for emotional regulation and decision-making, respectively. These are critical skills that some teens have yet to acquire.
When the worst happens
Parents dread getting that middle-of-the-night call alerting them that their child has been injured in a serious car accident. For those who don’t know where to turn after a damaging collision, learning more about Illinois personal injury laws may be helpful.