Top Causes of Car Wrecks Among Young Drivers

Most people understand that young drivers are one of the age groups that have the most car accidents. The other group is the elderly, but teenagers are the worst age group when it comes to car crashes. Young drivers get into car accidents for the same reasons found in other age groups, but there are some causes that are particularly prevalent in teenage drives. This article will discuss the most common causes of car accidents in young drivers.

Unfortunately, Tennessee ranks 12th among the other states in the number of fatal teenage car accidents. This is not a great position to be in. There are way too many car accidents when teens are driving. This is true even though in Tennessee, it is against the law for a teen to drive with a carload of other teens in our state. Tennessee has a 15 percent fatality rate for car accidents involving drivers between 16 and 17 years of age.

Here are the top causes of car accidents among young Tennessee drivers:

● Teenage DUI Drivers: Drivers under the age of 20 have a high percentage of DUI accidents and arrests. In 2019, studies found that 24 percent of drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who were part of a crash where someone died, had a blood alcohol content of .01 percent or greater. Just like in other age groups, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a major cause of car crashes. In many of these crashes, people are seriously injured or even die.

● Distracted Driving: Distracted driving has always been an issue with all age groups. People would be distracted by changing the radio station, talking with passengers, or even eating while driving. With the invention of the smartphone, however, distracted driving has soared to new heights. Teenagers these days are prone to use social media more frequently than other age groups, and this does not change when they are driving. Checking texts, checking on what is happening on Tik Tok or Instagram while driving is very dangerous and teenagers do it all the time. It only takes a few seconds of looking at your phone and not the road ahead to cause a car accident.

● Aggressive Driving: Aggressive driving is a catch-all category that covers speeding as well as careless or reckless driving. Many teenagers, possibly due to their youth and inexperience, have a sense of invincibility and the mind-set that nothing bad can happen to them. Many teenagers speed, which is a major cause of auto accidents. Many teenagers drive recklessly by tailgating, switching lanes without signaling, or generally driving in a careless or reckless manner.

● Inexperience: Even though teenage and new drivers have to be tested with a written test and a driving test before they receive their drivers’ license, many young drivers still do not have a lot of driving experience. This lack of driving experience can create situations where a car crash is likely to happen. Whether it is teenage drivers cannot control their vehicles well enough, or do not understand the rules of the road well enough, this inexperience is a factor in causing teenage car accidents.

The law office of Robert Bates & Associates represents seriously injured people in and around the Tri Cities region of Tennessee. We have been successfully representing car and truck crash victims for over a decade. Contact us for a free consultation.

Robert BatesRobert is a Kingsport trial lawyer who handles car, truck and motorcycle wreck cases across the Tri-Cities. Every client gets his cell number.