Top 6 Reasons Teen Drivers Get into Accidents (and How to Prevent Them)

Driving is a time-honored teenage rite of passage that millions of teenagers look forward to each year. While they relish in their newfound freedom to drive anywhere their parents allow, they also sometimes underestimate the dangers that could lie ahead of them on the road.

You can keep your child safe and help him or her avoid becoming a teenage driving statistic by discovering the top six reasons why teen drivers get into accidents.

Inexperience

One of the most common reasons that teen drivers crash their cars can be chalked up to inexperience. They forget how to maintain control of their vehicles, causing them to wreck into other motorists, pedestrians, or structures on the side of the road.

While you can always fix such accident damages to the car by getting a quote and taking it in for auto body repair in Utah county or your particular locale, you do not have that peace of mind if your child is hurt or worse in a wreck. You can help your teen gain experience, however, by enrolling him or her in a driver's education or defensive driving course.

Distractions

Teenagers by nature have short attention spans. They find it difficult to multitask and focus on more than one thing at a time.

When they become distracted by things like changing the radio station dial, eating, talking to someone in the back seat, or looking at something outside the window, they are more prone to getting into a car accident. You must reinforce the importance of keeping focus on the road and driving safely.

Inebriation

Driving under the influence accounts for another reason for why thousands of teens wreck their cars each year. Inebriation paired with inexperience and impulsive behavior create a lethal combination that contributes to the number of teenagers getting injured or killed in motor vehicle accidents.

To prevent this risk, you should talk to your teen about the dangers of intoxicated driving. You should also withdrawal driving privileges and follow through with legal consequences if your teenager is charged with a DUI.

Recklessness

Teenagers by nature are also reckless and more than willing to take risks. They do not appreciate their own mortality and believe that nothing bad could happen to them.

If your teenager shows signs of being impulsive and reckless, you should insist on accompanying him or her each time your teenager drives the car. You should continue this habit until he or she shows signs of maturing and appreciating the risks that come with driving.

Teen Passengers

Many states have laws that prevent teenagers from driving with other teens in the car with them. They must be accompanied by a licensed adult 18 and older.

Still, teens who ignore this law or live in a state without such rules are at an increased risk of wrecking when they drive with teen passengers in the car with them. As a parent, you should disallow your teenager from driving with friends in the car and take away privileges if your child violates your rules on this matter.

Texting

Finally, texting has become one of the primary reasons for why millions of teens get hurt or killed in car wrecks each year. Statistics show that texting increases the risk of getting into an accident by 23 percent.

Public safety campaigns continue to educate teens on the dangers of texting and driving. You can do your part by reminding your teenager often of this hazard and take appropriate disciplinary measures if he or she is caught texting while driving the car.

Your teenager may look forward to driving. You can keep him or her safe by learning what factors increase the chances of teen drivers wrecking their cars and what you can do to prevent these risks.