Tennessee Teen Driving Accidents

Every once in a while we see news stories in the local papers or on TV about a teenager or several teenagers being involved in a serious car or truck accident. Sometimes they suffer significant bodily injuries or even death and our hearts sink to hear that kind of news. Although it is rare, there are still instances of serious teen driving accidents in the Tri Cities and throughout Tennessee. As a society, we try to teach new drivers to drive more carefully and to wear their seatbelts and not be distracted by their phones, but sometimes accidents can still happen. Here at Robert Bates & Associates, want to focus on car accidents to try to prevent our young adults from being seriously injured in these types of accidents.

Teen Driving Accident Statistics

In 2019, 71 teenage drivers died in automobile accidents. That number rose to 76 teen fatalities in 2020, despite the fact of the pandemic lock downs and people not using the roads and highways as much. But so far in 2021, there has been a significant increase in teen car and truck crash fatalities. It is just over half of the 2021 year and the number of teen fatalities is currently 89 at the writing of this post. At the present time it is not known why there is a significant surge in teen crash fatalities.

For the past few years, car crashes have been the leading cause of death for teenagers in Tennessee between the ages of 15 and 19. Motor vehicle crashes are also the leading cause of death for ages between 1 and 14, and the second leading cause for emergency room visits and hospitalizations for this age group.

Teen Seatbelt Use

One of the factors with the high number of teen car accident injuries and deaths is the lack of use of seatbelts. Using a seatbelt is one of the simplest ways to prevent being seriously injured in any type of car or truck accident, no matter how minor or how violent. There is a trend in Tennessee teens of not wearing their seatbelts. The state of Tennessee has been focusing on this issue with several statewide programs to encourage teenagers to wear seatbelts.

Safe Teen Driving Begins With the Parents

As with many things with children and teenagers, how they act out in the world is usually learned at home. Learning to practice safe driving techniques should begin with the parents having safe driving habits. The state of Tennessee has developed a program to help parents and teenagers drive safer. The Checkpoints Parent-Teen Driving Agreement Program one hour education program, with a parent and a first-year teen driver that includes media, teen driving risk and specific techniques to reduce injury and fatality that is due to risky driving. The program focuses on the following:

● Risks teens face when first licensed (facts and myths about teen driving safety).

● How everyone can make teens’ driving safer.

● How to effectively communicate with each other about safe driving (video content).

● Interactive parent-teen driving agreements that set clear guidelines and consequences for their teens’ early driving and adapt as their teens progress.

At the conclusion of the program, parents and teenagers will create a “Checkpoints” teen driving agreement to reduce high-risk teen driving behaviors. Schools will provide incentives, such as on-campus parking permits for those students who are about to begin driving independently and other prizes and awards.

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.