For every mile traveled, drivers aged 16 and 17 run triple the risk for a fatal crash than adults. Teens are naturally more prone to be negligent and even reckless when behind the wheel, and this comes out especially during the summer. In fact, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which largely coincides with summer break, is known as the “100 deadliest days.” Parents in Georgia should know how to prepare for this each year.
First, it can be good to know what unsafe behaviors teenagers tend to fall into. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently conducted a Traffic Safety Culture Index and found that 72% of 16- to 18-year-old drivers had engaged in some form of negligence in the past 30 days. For example, 47% exceeded the speed limit in residential areas, 40% did so on the highway, 35% sent a text behind the wheel and 32% ran a red light.
Parents can talk to their teens about how dangerous these actions are. They can also bring up the risks of drowsy, aggressive and impaired driving. Next, they can set up family rules for their teens to follow. To encourage them even further, parents must be safe drivers themselves. AAA recommends coaching teens for at least 50 hours’ worth of practice driving sessions.
These steps should at least reduce the chances of an accident; they cannot totally prevent one, of course. If teens make bad choices and wind up harming other people in an accident, those people may seek out a personal injury lawyer and file a claim against the insurance companies. Victims may start by requesting a case evaluation. If the case seems strong, the lawyer may go ahead and handle all negotiations for a settlement, litigating only as a last resort.
