Study shows that new teen drivers more likely to cause accidents

Kentucky parents who have children nearing driving age may be interested to learn that teens are most at risk for causing car accidents within their first few months of having a driver’s license. According to a new report, teens are eight times more likely to crash or experience a near-miss collision within the first three months of obtaining their licenses.

For the study, researchers monitored 90 teens and 131 parents in Virginia. The study period lasted from when the teens received their learner’s permits to the end of the first year of having their driver’s licenses. In order to monitor the participants, the vehicles were equipped with two dash cams that recorded both the road and the driver. Furthermore, software recorded each vehicle’s braking and speed.

The researchers found that once teens were driving on their own, they were more likely to accelerate too quickly, turn too severely and brake too abruptly. These driving behaviors were more likely to put them at risk for causing car crashes or near collisions. As a result of the study, the researchers suggested that teens who are just starting to drive independently should have a more gradual decrease in supervision.

When inexperienced drivers are out on the road, they are at risk for causing serious or even fatal accidents. However, a driver’s inexperience is no excuse if they cause a crash that leaves another person severely injured. A personal injury attorney may help an injured victim seek compensation from the liable driver. In some cases, if the liable driver was underage or if the parents owned the vehicle, the attorney may even hold the parents responsible for any damages, such as medical costs.