The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is joining hands with federal agencies to help keep teen drivers safe as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week. This year, the week will be commemorated between October 18 and 24.
A number of events have been planned to mark the campaign which is specifically focused at reducing the risk of accidents involving teens. These include an event called Rock the Belt to encourage drivers to buckle up while driving. Teen drivers tend to have low rates of seat belt usage while driving, and the Rock the Belt campaign will encourage greater rates of seat belt usage among teen drivers.
The campaign also includes a Rollover Simulator lesson plan which involves a PowerPoint presentation, videos of rollover simulations, data on the consequences associated with rollover accidents as well as the risk factors, that contribute to these deadly accidents including drowsy driving and speeding.
Teen drivers are some of the most at-risk motorists in the United States. According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, traffic accidents are a major cause of death for drivers between the age of 15 and 18 in the country. In 2018, 2, 121 people died in accidents that involved a teen driver, and 719 of these deaths involved the driver in the accident. That same year, 16% of teen drivers who were involved in fatal accidents were driving under the influence of alcohol.
Close to 50% of teen drivers who died in these accidents were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. Nine out of ten of the passengers who died in these accidents were also unbuckled.
Distracted driving is another serious problem facing teen drivers, and this will also be a focus during National Teen Driver Safety Week this year. If you are a parent with a teen motorist at home, make sure to set rules about always wearing a seatbelt and never using a cell phone while driving. While most people think distracted driving involves only those distractions that are associated with the use of electronic communication devices, the fact is that teen drivers are simply much more susceptible to all types of distractions. Adjusting the radio, for instance, and talking with fellow passengers in the car are major sources of distraction for teens.
Accidents involving teenage drivers are even more devastating, because very often, they involve multiple passengers in the car. When a teen is driving with multiple passengers, his chances of an accident increase significantly. Teen drivers also take distracting activities like applying makeup in the car and snacking while driving less seriously than adult drivers. Close to 30% of all teen driver-related accidents in 2018 were linked to distracted driving and speeding.
If you or a loved have been injured in a car accident in the metro Atlanta region or anywhere in Georgia, talk to an Atlanta car accident lawyer at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers, and determine your legal options for a claim. You may be eligible for compensation for losses including lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other types of economic as well as non-economic damages.