According to AAA, a national automobile research and education group, the three-month stretch from June to September comprises the 100 “deadliest days” of the year to be behind the wheel.
This owes largely to summer break and the increased number of teenage drivers on the road. Recent research conducted by Lytx DriveCam cameras suggests that during the summer months, on average no fewer than 10 people die each day in accidents involving a teen driver.
But what is it exactly that makes teenage drivers so dangerous? To anyone with a son or daughter in high school, the answer may not come as too big a surprise. A review of nearly 2,300 dashcam videos from cars involved in mild to severe accidents demonstrated that, in more than half the crashes, the teen driver was distracted by friends or a cellphone.
As the number of cellphone applications and the popularity of texting grow ever larger, distracted driving unfortunately becomes an increasing concern. Additional studies by the AAA Foundation for Driver Safety found that distracted driving accidents became more severe as teens switched from making calls to texting, which involves the diversion of both their eyes and their hands.
Our law firm, Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C, has a strong history of representing victims of motor vehicle accidents. We encourage all drivers to disregard their cellphones and focus on the road. Unfortunately, we are also aware that some accidents may happen and that individuals may be injured due to another driver’s negligence this summer. When this happens, an experienced car accident attorney can help you protect your rights you and seek damages for your losses.
Source: USA Today, “AAA: 100 ‘deadliest days’ of summer: Teens on the road after Memorial Day,” Bart Jansen, June 1, 2016
