Five Common Mistakes Made By Young Drivers

With school out and long days to spend with their friends, summer is a common time of year for teen drivers to be on the road. Unfortunately, they are the ones most at risk for car accidents resulting in potentially severe injuries. Our Bradenton car accident lawyer details some of the most common mistakes young drivers are likely to make.

Young, Inexperienced Drivers Face Greater Car Accident Risks

Car accidents in Bradenton can happen to people of all ages. However, young people are among the most at risk and tend to suffer the most serious personal injuries.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car crashes are the second leading cause of death among young people under 17. Factors that make them more likely to be involved in collisions include:

• Inexperience: Young people may not have encountered different types of road, traffic, or weather conditions and may be uncertain as to how to respond to unexpected events.
• Inattention: Teens are easily distracted by their friends, cellphones, and things going on outside of the vehicle. Looking away from the road for even a few seconds or allowing their minds to wander significantly increases car accident risks.
• Immaturity: Young people’s brains and bodies are still developing. Immaturity can cause them to behave in ways that endanger themselves and others. Teens are more likely to engage in racing or other competitive actions with other vehicles and are also more likely to engage in reckless driving behaviors, such as speeding.

Mistakes Teens Are Most Likely To Make Behind The Wheel

Even among the most mature and conscientious teens, there are still certain types of mistakes they are likely to make while driving, which could increase car accident risks. According to the website Raising Teens Today, among the most common include:

• Not adjusting their speed: Simply obeying speed limits is not enough. Teens need to be taught to slow down in heavy traffic, near road construction projects, and during bad weather.
• Not allowing adequate time and space for passing: Teens are often in a hurry and tend to zig-zag between lanes. This is dangerous in and of itself, but particularly when they do not provide enough warning or leave adequate space between them and other vehicles.
• Not checking blind spots: Another common problem when passing, teens often underestimate the size of blind spots and overlook checking these areas.
• Not navigating turns and curves properly: Making tight turns and going too fast around curves can cause loss of vehicle control. If they are driving a taller vehicle, it could cause a rollover.
• Not coming to a complete stop: At traffic signs and signals, not coming to a complete stop poses major risks for teens and other drivers.

Contact Our Bradenton Car Accident Lawyer

At the Law Office of Steven G. Lavely, we are dedicated to helping accident victims get the compensation they are entitled to in a claim. If you or someone you love is injured, call or contact our Bradenton car accident lawyer online and request a consultation today.

Sources:

cdc.gov/transportationsafety/teen_drivers/index.html

raisingteenstoday.com/8-common-mistakes-teen-drivers-make-and-how-to-correct-them/