Delaware drivers have no choice but to share the roads with teenage drivers, but research shows many of them are engaging in dangerous driving behaviors that endanger you and everyone else they encounter. The sheer fact that teen drivers lack the experience older motorists have means they may have a harder time avoiding crashes. However, other factors, such as the number of passengers a teen driver has in his or her vehicle, also increase crash risks.
According to AAA Newsroom, the risk of a deadly car wreck increases by 51% when a teenage driver also has one or more teenage passengers in the vehicle. When teen motorists have passengers that are over 35, though, crash fatality rates actually declined by 8%.
By the numbers
Often, the people who die in crashes involving teenage drivers who have passengers are not the offending drivers. In about 56% of cases, the people who die are the drivers or passengers traveling in other vehicles. In about 45% of crashes, the individual who dies is the offending driver. In another 17% of instances, those who die are either pedestrians or cyclists.
Safety efforts
Many safety advocates believe that education and training goes a long way in terms of preventing crashes caused by teen drivers with passengers. AAA urges teen drivers to have at least 100 hours of supervised driving time before they take to the roads on their own. Teens should also avoid having anyone under 20 ride as a passenger during their first six months behind the wheel.
AAA also urges parents of teen drivers to continue to monitor their teens’ driving habits even after they have valid licenses to help prevent crashes.