Teen Drivers Being Distracted By Peer Passengers
You may have been injured at the hands of a teen driver in Connecticut. Teen drivers are, of course, inexperienced, but it may be helpful to know just how this lack of experience can contribute to a crash. One way is that lack of driving experience means a lack of dealing with distractions. Distracted driving is among the most widespread factors in crashes, and it can arise from any number of things.
Passengers Pose a Distraction
While most people think of phones or navigation systems when they think about distracted driving, it turns out that even talking with passengers can make one inattentive behind the wheel. A study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that having just one peer in the car makes a teen driver 44% more likely to crash.
How Parents Can Intervene
It’s important, then, that parents intervene. If possible, parents and teens should come to an agreement where the teen driver goes without passengers for at least six months after obtaining their license. Ideally, teens should try to go passenger-free for a year.
Crashes affect passengers just as well as drivers, so parents may want to put restrictions on their teen being driven by a friend. Parents should take into account how far they are driving, whether they will be driving at night and how long the driver has been licensed.
Siblings More Distracting Than Friends
Some parents might assume that their teens will be less distracted with their siblings, but the contrary is true. Siblings know what things can get one another excited or angry, and this is hardly conducive to safe, responsible driving.
Legal Representation for Serious Cases
It’s possible that the teen who injured you was distracted, but how he or she was distracted will be the question. Some forms of distraction are hard to prove; a driver can lie to the police about their actions prior to the crash. You may want an attorney who works in personal injury law to assist with your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries.