Motor Vehicle Crashes Leading Cause of Teen Deaths | DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

More teens die from automobile collisions than any other cause.  Motor vehicle crashes account for 36% of all teen deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  “In 2004, 4,767 teens ages 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes (CDC 2006).” The CDC reports that teen drivers between ages 16 and 19 are four times more likely to crash than older drivers. This problem can be remedied, however.

Research relied upon by CDC suggests when the most strict and comprehensive graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems are used, fatal crashes are reduced by 38% and non-fatal crashes are reduced by 40%, when comparing 16 year old drivers. GDLs are designed to give teens practical and necessary experience under low-risk conditions, best preparing them for real-life, higher-risk conditions.

We encourage parents and guardians to insist on GDLs and use the basic principles of GDL to help teen drivers gain valuable experience before driving under high-risk conditions.  It could be a matter of life and death.

You can read the National Safety Council’s Teen Driver: A Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety for helpful tips and suggestions.

Many Americans are killed or injured each year in traffic collisions.  If you want more information about your legal rights, please click here or call the law firm of Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at (202) 463-3030.