When you look at fatal accident rates, a disturbing trend becomes clear. Teenagers make up a tiny proportion of overall drivers, with their age group spanning just from 16 to 19. But the rate at which they cause fatal car accidents is disproportionate to the size of this age group. The accident rate is much too high, showing that teenagers are some of the most dangerous drivers on the road.
But why is this? People often point to things like distracted driving or speeding, and these are factors in specific cases. But they are certainly not exclusive to teenagers and many adults also participate in these activities behind the wheel. So why do teens have a higher fatal accident rate?
Teens lack experience as drivers
The problem is that driving is a complicated skill. You are essentially operating heavy machinery at high speeds, where you only have a second or two to react to things that happen around you.
Over time, people get used to this and it comes as “second nature.” But it isn’t natural at all. They’ve simply learned the skill and improved their abilities. Teenagers who just started driving lack this experience. This is what causes them to make mistakes that other drivers wouldn’t make. It also makes the aforementioned issues – like distracted driving – much worse because teens can’t correct their mistakes and avoid accidents as easily.
Unfortunately, this problem is likely to continue because it takes time for teenagers to gain the necessary experience as drivers. Those who get injured in serious car accidents need to be sure they know what legal steps they can take to seek proper financial compensation.
