School’s out for summer, which means more teens are out on the road. According to the AAA, summer driving season is also the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers.
Beginning around Memorial Day, crashes among drivers aged 16 to 19 increase significantly. In the past 5 years, the average number of traffic fatalities during summer was 16% higher than other times of year. On average, more than 1,000 people die during the 100 days after Memorial Day, based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Teen Driver Crashes in Florida
In 2015, more than 42,000 teen driver crashes were reported in Florida; this was a 10.5% increase compared to the number of accidents reported in 2014, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. Nearly 20,000 teens and teen passengers were injured in these accidents.
Data has been collected and analyzed on teen drivers and the risks of a motor vehicle crash. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention notes that the presence of teen passengers increases the risk of an accident for teen drivers. Newly licensed teens are also more likely to be involved in an accident during the first few months of licensure.
Texting and driving, alcohol, and reckless behavior are some of the more common causes of teen driving accidents. Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or fail to recognize hazardous situations.
Common Teen Driver Accident Injuries
Some of the injuries teen drivers may be more susceptible to include:
- Broken bones
- Head trauma
- Sprains and strains
- Back injuries
- Whiplash
Unfortunately, teen drivers are less likely to wear a seatbelt while driving. According to data on teen passenger fatalities in 2014, about 53% of the victims were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Parents can help their teens stay safe during summer by providing them with supervised driving practice before and after licensure, limiting the number of passengers a teen driver can have in their vehicles, limiting nighttime driving, and enforcing strict rules on wearing a seatbelt and not using a cellphone while driving.
As all Florida drivers are required to have $10,000 in personal injury protection insurance, teen drivers should always get medical attention if they are injured in a car crash. Failing to get injuries documented within 14 days of the crash could prevent you from obtaining the insurance benefits you deserve.
If your teen is injured in a car crash, contact a doctor you can trust – contact ChiroCare of Florida.
Call 1-877-377-4448.
