Do you feel like there have been more car accidents involving teenagers this summer? Maybe you’ve already been involved in one yourself, or perhaps a loved one has been injured. It is true that, statistically speaking, there are more serious accidents caused by teens in the summer months.
Many of the reasons for these accidents are relatively normal. Teens get distracted by cellphones or exceed the speed limit. They get distracted listening to music, or they drive under the influence. Maybe they follow too closely, fail to yield the right of way or run red lights. Teen drivers are relatively inexperienced and tend to make a lot of mistakes, leading to these serious crashes.
Isn’t this true all year around?
Yes, the risk from teen drivers is present all year around. Some of the reasons given above, such as distraction or impairment, are not exclusive to the summer.
The difference in the summer months is just that teens are no longer in school. The school schedule is fairly rigid, keeping them off of the road. Those who do drive may simply commute to school and back.
In the summer, teens have a three-month break. They are naturally going to drive a lot more, cover a lot more miles and cause more accidents as a result. On top of that, the type of driving they do may be more dangerous. A teenager who usually commutes to school alone may be driving around town with friends in the car, for instance, increasing the chances of distraction.
If you’ve been injured in a crash, or if you’ve lost a loved one, then you need to know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.