Last week we wrote about how car accidents are the number one cause of death among teenagers and that nearly 40 percent of deadly teen car accidents are caused by drinking and driving. A recent study has revealed that the majority of general teenage car accidents including both fatal and non-fatal are caused by inexperience. In this post we will discuss the additional findings of the recent teenage car accident study.
According to the new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance shows the majority of teenage car crashes are caused by inexperience and distraction. The director of the Center for Injury Research says the significance of the study’s results is that teenage car accidents are not caused by bad behavior but by the lack of the required skill set needed to be behind the wheel.
The study reviewed around 800 teenage car crashes from the country and concluded that car accidents involving teenagers are caused by three common critical driving errors. A critical error is one that occurs immediately before a crash. The three common teenage driving errors are traveling too fast for road conditions and not just traveling over the speed limit; being distracted by something or someone inside or outside of the vehicle; and the lack of observational skills to assess the surrounding driving environment.
The study confirmed that car accidents are the leading cause of death among 13 to 19-year-olds and offered suggestions to parents on helping their teenage drivers improve their skills. Parents should help their teen drivers learn how to scan the roadway and learn to look beyond the car in front of them. Teens should also work on speed control in different environments including varying weather and traffic. Finally, parents should help their teens reduce distractions by limiting electronic devices and disruptive conversations in the vehicle.
Source: HealthDay, “Driver errors explain most teen crashes, experts say,” Kathleen Doheny, 4/12/11