Drivers of all ages can be involved in crashes. However, teen drivers in Texas are among the most vulnerable. Recent studies show that drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are more likely to get into accidents than any other. In fact, people in this age group are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash.
Teenage drivers are prone to drive erratically
Car accidents involving teenagers exhibit some disturbing similarities. Nearly 40% of teenage drivers have admitted to talking on the phone or texting while behind the wheel. They are also more likely to drive at a rate that is dangerously above the speed limit.
Teen drivers tend to have less driving experience than older drivers. They also tend to take more risks. This includes cutting in front of other vehicles or following too closely behind them. Speeding accounted for 80% of single-vehicle crashes. Failure to yield to another vehicle was the cause of 40% of all crashes.
Unsafe driving is more common among teens
The rate of fatal crashes tends to rise to its highest level in summer when teens are out of school. They are more likely to be on the roads, particularly at night. Recent studies have shown that issues such as drunken or distracted driving are more fatal to teen drivers than to any other group.
In recent years, almost half of teen drivers between the age of 16 and 19 who were killed in fatal crashes were not wearing a seatbelt. Almost half of all recorded fatal crashes involving teens occurred in the later nighttime or early morning hours. Highway safety experts have urged parents to pay more attention to these unsafe practices.