A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety tells us what we already know, but with a twist. We already know that teen driver crash rates are higher than any other age group, but nearly two-thirds of those injured and killed in crashes involving teen drivers were not teen drivers. Nearly 3,000 people are killed and 400,000 injured by teen drivers annually.
The AAA study examined car crashes from 1994 to 2013 where one of the drivers was aged 15 to 19. It found that 66% of people killed and 67% of people injured in these crashes were not the teen driver. It also found that 30% of the reported fatalities were victims riding or driving in other vehicles, 27% were passengers in the teen driver’s vehicle, and 10% were pedestrians or bicyclists.
AAA is attempting to raise awareness of what is known as the “100 Deadliest Days” for drivers. Teen-involved car crashes increase during these 100 days, the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. According to the study, in 2013, the increase in teen drivers and passenger fatalities during these days increased 43% compared to the rest of the year.
See the AAA press release about its study here.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, contact the personal injury attorneys of The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at (800) 333-0000 for a free attorney consultation. You may be entitled to compensation.
