With the amount of kids getting their driver’s licenses in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach (as well as other Florida counties), the likelihood of car accidents only increases when you combine inexperienced driving with modern day distractions.

Parents have to realize that it is inevitable. The young adorable child they carefully raised is now growing up and getting their driver’s license. This can be a scary thing for a parent, but also for anyone else sharing the road with the excited inexperienced driver. Even though this is an expected part of growing up, it has never been more dangerous than in the world of today. Getting behind the wheel for the first time can be overwhelming for a teenager. They have to learn the rules of the road, become accustomed to the flow of traffic, adjust to the different roads, pay attention to other drivers (who may not be as careful) and also watch for unexpected road conditions.

Even with all of these obstacles, the most dangerous thing they can face is their cellphone. Just a few years ago our biggest fear with distracted driving was texting. Unfortunately, the driving distractions have grown to include checking email, Google, checking Facebook, taking a photo for Instagram while driving and maybe even playing words-with-friends. It would be simple to just point the blame on the irresponsibility of teenagers, but in many cases the teenagers have picked these habits up by growing up watching adults on their phones.

Here are some statistics concerning teenage driver car accidents that we should be aware of:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) car accidents remain the number one killer of teenagers, even though car accident fatalities have dropped 62% for all drivers since 1975.
• Drivers that are younger than 20 years old have a crash rate that is about 3.5 times higher than older drivers.
• The crash rate for drivers between the ages of 16-17 years old is nine times higher than drivers over 20 years old.

Safety is not in numbers:

• Unsupervised teen passengers will double the risk of a car accident for the teen driver. If there are two or more passengers, then the risk of a teen car accident increases five times.
• Over 60% of teens admit to risky driving habits when it comes to road rules like keeping safe following distances between cars or speeding.
• At 10%, teenage passengers have the lowest rate of seatbelt use among all ages.
• For every driver killed between the ages of 15-17 years old, there is an average of two or more people killed in the same accident.

Modern day distractions:

• Talking on a cellphone can more than double the risk of a car accident and can slow a new driver’s reaction time to that of a 70 year old.
• Over 56% of teenagers admit to talking on the phone while driving.
• Over 34% of 16-17 year olds admit to sending and responding to text messages.
• Over 48% of children between the ages of 12-17 years old admit to being in a car when the driver was on their phone texting.

If you or someone you love have been involved in a car accident, then please contact the Fort Lauderdale attorneys at Madalon Law for a free consultation. We will gladly answer your questions and explain what your options are.

Related Topics

• Texting and Driving
• Cellphone & Smartphone
• Distracted Drivers