As my son just turned 15, I realize that he is approaching the age of driving. I find myself being more aware of articles and news relating to young people involved in automobile accidents in the Sacramento area. And it scares me to death to think how helpless I can feel in the face of accidents. Especially since I am on staff for a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. We see many people and many teenagers who have been injured in an auto accident, car crash, or a motorcycle accident. And the despair their parents face.
Consider this information from the California Department of Motor Vehicles:
Teenage Driver Vehicle Crash Risk Factors
“The traffic accident rates for 16- to 19-year old drivers are higher than those for any other age group. What causes teenage drivers to have so many accidents?
Risk Taking
Teenagers tend to take more risks while driving their car or motorcycle or truck, partly due to their overconfidence in their driving abilities. Young novice drivers are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, violating traffic signs and signals, making illegal turns, passing dangerously, and failure to yield to pedestrians.”
Why do our teenage drivers take so many risks when driving a car, motorcycle or truck? Is it because they believe to be more experienced than they actually are? Why are they more likely to have a car crash and motor vehicle accidents in Sacramento and throughout California? Are they more likely to be the cause of an accident? Because the typical teenage driver doesn’t appreciate the risks of winding up injured or even killed in an auto or motorcycle accident.
What can we do to prevent accidents? We need to keep reminding our kids of the risks of a serious car crash. Insist on precaution conscient behaviour on the road. I know I will.
~ Tammy, stepping in for Moseley Collins