Nationwide, the number one cause of fatalities among 16-to-19-year-olds is motor vehicle accidents. Alcohol and cell phone usage are frequently factors in both fatal and nonfatal accidents involving teen drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers in the 16-19 age group are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers who are 20 and older. It is believed that the combination of inexperience and a greater propensity toward risk-taking are reasons for higher accident rates among teen drivers.
In 2013, 963,000 crashes involving teen drivers were reported to police. These crashes caused more than 2,800 deaths and 383,000 injuries. In one study for the Governors Highway Safety Association, it was found that Tennessee had the most fatalities in the country for 16- and 17-year-olds due to motor vehicle accidents in 2012 with 16 deaths in the first six months of the year. As of May 2016, 20 teens in Tennessee had died in motor vehicle accidents.
Certain factors increase the likelihood of crashes. Crashes are more likely when vehicles have male passengers or drivers, when the driver is newly licensed and when there are no adults in the vehicle. Teens may be more likely to speed, tailgate or engage in other reckless driving than older drivers. Among drivers ages 16 to 20 who were in fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2013, 17 percent of them had a blood alcohol content of at least .08 percent.
In 2015, the American Automobile Association released the results of a study showing that distraction was a significant factor in accidents caused by teen drivers. The study was conducted on more than 1,600 crashes that had been caught on video. By looking at the last six seconds prior to the crash, researchers found that in 58 percent of all accidents with teen drivers, distraction was a factor. These distractions included interacting with other passengers, using cell phones, and looking at something in or outside of the vehicle instead of the road.
Like most states, Tennessee bans driving and texting for all drivers, but it only bans cell phone usage for drivers with a learner’s permit or intermediate license. Furthermore, it is impossible to ban other causes such as interacting with passengers that might be less dangerous when done by experienced drivers. In fact, crashes are most likely in the first six months after a teenager receives their license.
Accidents caused by drunk, distracted or inexperienced teen drivers can cause serious injuries to passengers, pedestrians and other drivers. When this happens, insurance does not always offer sufficient compensation to cover a person’s medical costs and other expenses such as lost wages from work.
As a result, people who are injured in an accident may want to consult an attorney. An attorney may be able to negotiate with insurance companies or might even file a civil lawsuit against the driver responsible if necessary. In Tennessee, if a driver under the age of 18 causes an accident, the parent or guardian of that driver is considered legally responsible. If the driver was working at the time the accident occurred, the employer might be liable or may share liability.
