Car Accidents Are The Leading Cause of Death Among Teenagers
As springtime prom season and summer is upon us, more and more teenagers will be driving their vehicles. Many of them will be doing so irresponsibly and unlawfully under the influence of mind-altering substances or alcohol. As we all know, a car or other motor vehicle in the hands of an inexperienced operator brings with it its own set of problems and can be viewed by some as a weapon.
Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The University of Pennsylvania and State Farm Insurance Companies commenced a massive effort known as the Keeping Young Drivers Safe project. The conclusion of the project was that most of the crashes involving teenagers are caused by distractions and/or inexperience. One of the biggest distractions to teenage drivers is the presence of other teens in the car and one study found that carrying one teenage passenger almost doubled the fatal crash risk of teen drivers. The risk increased unbelievably to five fold when two or more teenagers were in the car. As for inexperience, 16-year old drivers have crash rates three times higher than 17-year old drivers and 5 times higher than 18-year old drivers as the rate drops with age.
There is proposed legislation in the Pennsylvania House which contains a set of teen driving restrictions which would require 65 hours of driving experience for teens seeking a license including at least ten hours of night time driving and five hours of driving in inclement weather. It would also forbid junior drivers to have more than one passenger under the age of 18 in the car with the exception of family members. Certain states have already passed legislation like this which has caused an extraordinary decrease in teen-caused crash fatalities and injuries.
Reiff & Bily is a Philadelphia based car accident and personal injury law firm that aggressively represents clients who have been seriously injured or killed in car accidents. We are recognized nationally for our legal excellence and ethics and serve our clients with integrity, passion and tenacity. We handle all automobile accident cases in Philadelphia and throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We offer a free evaluation to discuss your claim. If you or someone you love has been catastrophically injuried in a car accident, we urge you to call Reiff & Bily at 1-800-421-9595 or contact us online to discuss your case at www.reiffandbily.com. Never negotiate with an insurance company on a settlement amount without first seeking the advice of an experienced and reputable Philadelphia personal injury and car accident lawyer from Reiff & Bily.
