Our conversation this week on the risk of teenage car accidents in Carrollton and the surrounding area would not be complete without a discussion of the true victims of such crashes: The passengers in a teen driver’s vehicle and other innocent motorists on the road.
Dallas personal injury lawyers are all too often called to assist a client in the wake of a serious or fatal car accident involving a young driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationreports 650 people were killed in Texas car accidents involving teenagers in 2008 — making Texas the deadliest state in the nation for traffic crashes involving young drivers.
Of the fatality victims, about one-third (276) were teen drivers. Another 153 victims were passengers in a teen’s vehicle. Victims in other vehicles resulted in 163 deaths. Non-occupants, typically bicyclists or pedestrians, accounted for 58 of the deaths resulting from teen car accidents.
Nationwide, the Health News Digest reports more than 681,000 people are involved in car accidents with teens each year, resulting in more than 40,000 serious injuries. In about one-third of those cases, a fatality victim is not in a car driven by a teenager.
“When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of the teens behind the wheel. We must also consider the significant impact of these crashes on other members of our communities: occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road-users,” says Dennis Durbin, a co-author of the report. “Whether or not we have a teen driver in our family, we should all care about this issue. This report provides a concrete way to measure the effectiveness of laws, education, and other programs in reducing teen crashes and their impact on communities.”
Researchers focus on four main contributing behaviors when it comes to teen car accidents: distracted driving, seat-belt use, speeding and alcohol use.
“Reducing speeding and alcohol use, increasing seat belt use, and eliminating distractions for teen drivers are the four calls-to-action we see in this report that would have great impact on reducing injuries and fatalities for all road users,” says Dr. Durbin, who is also an emergency physician. “More than half of teens who were fatally injured in crashes were speeding, 40 percent had a positive blood alcohol level, more than half were not wearing seat belts, and 16 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.”
The report found car accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. Those ages 16 to 19 are four-times more likely to be in a fatal crash than an adult driver.
It was the inaugural report released by State Farm Insurance and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
If you or a family member is hurt in a car accident in Carrollton or the surrounding area, contact Dallas Injury Attorney Mike Goolsby for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call (972) 394-2141. Serving Dallas, Carrollton and the surrounding areas.
