You might have a child at home who’s approaching their 16th birth year in Ontario. So, you know what that means. Eek! You might have a new driver in the household; a 16-year-old driver at that…
You might be feeling a slew of different emotions with that thought in your head, or maybe you’re already dealing with a teen driver and the fear that you’re confronted with when they take out their car for a Saturday night. Unfortunately, this fear can be justified with statistics. In fact, in British Columbia alone, car crashes are the number one cause of death among teens. 54 16- to 20-year-olds are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents in BC, while over 70% of these teens are male. Drivers in Graduated Licensing programs (GLP) in the novice level are also over-represented in car accidents, while they are 45% more likely to be involved in a serious crash than more experienced drivers.
Why are teens more likely to be involved in such horrific collisions?
Teens are usually involved in these horrific accidents because of their lack of driving experience and because they are more prone to putting themselves at greater risk on the roads. A study conducted by former Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) chief scientist, Allan Williams actually found that if we raised the age at which drivers were licensed, we would save lives. The study’s sole focus was to study other countries and the driving rules that existed in each place. The study found that by raising the driving age in the United States, it would reduce crashes involving teens. Here are a few more reasons why teens are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle accidents:
Cellphones
Distracted driving has become a dangerous habit among teens and even adults because of the “smartphone generation.” People can’t seem to leave their phones alone at any time, even when they’re driving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, which was released in June 2014, and it revealed that 41.4% of high school students admitted to texting or emailing from behind the steering wheel at least once in the past 30 days. This is not a surprising finding, as laws have now been created to ban using all hand-held devices while driving in provinces such as Ontario.
Speeding
Despite everything we already know about speeding and the dangers that are linked to this careless act, teens and adults continue to speed. But, for young men in particular, speeding is rampant. In 2014, it was found that 36% of 15- to 20-year old male drivers were speeding when they were involved in a fatal accident, compared to 20% of female drivers in this age group.
Drunk Driving
It feels as if we’ve seen public service announcement after public service announcement emphasizing the importance of calling a cab, or giving a friend your car keys, or not bringing your car to the party the night you’re drinking, but, nevertheless, drinking and driving is still the cause of many fatalities and serious accidents in 2016. In 2014 alone, 32 percent of speeding drivers under 21 who were involved in fatal car accidents had a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .01 or higher. However, speeding drivers from 25-35 years of age who were also involved in fatal crashes in the same year had BACs of .08. So the correlation here is that drinking and speeding go hand in hand. It was more common for drivers to be involved in speeding-related fatal crashes who were also under the influence, than in car accidents where speed was not a factor.
These three factors, cellphones, speeding, and drinking and driving, have all been correlated to motor vehicle accidents. It seems as if these problems are quite common among young drivers in Canada and the United States, making this an issue that occurs across North America. It could be our culture, our values, our gadgets, our lack of understanding, our generation, etc., but no matter the cause—education and prevention needs to be a focus among this age group to put a stop to the fatal crashes that are becoming a headline of the past.
Hiring a Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer
A Toronto personal injury lawyer or a lawyer in the GTA knows that young people are at-risk and are more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident than any other age group. However, personal injury lawyers in Ontario have experience handling cases where young people are involved in serious accidents and when personal injuries are suffered.
You can find a lawyer you trust to help you with your case and ensure that you file your personal injury claims correctly and with ease. If you are dissatisfied with the compensation you have received after an accident, a personal injury lawyer will also help you to receive the compensation that you deserve in the aftermath. A personal injury lawyer will even deal with your insurance company directly, alleviating any stress that you might feel from being involved. Book a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer at Sokoloff Lawyers today, and find a lawyer you trust to help you file your personal injury claims.
Sources:
https://www.bcaa.com/road-safety/resources/teen-drivers/teenagers-and-crashes
C Traffic Collision Statistics: 2001 to 2005
http://www.iii.org/issue-update/teen-drivers
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6304.pdf
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812265