With the number of dangers on the road in New York, teen drivers are starting out on one of the most difficult terrains in the world. Combine that with the natural inexperience and inevitable mistakes that teen drivers will make, and they as well as anyone they encounter on the road will be may be jeopardy. With National Teen Driver Safety Week having recently taken place, it is important to understand the statistics and research about teen drivers.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that when there is a teen driver with other teens in the vehicle, the chance of an accident happening increased by more than 50 percent. Part of this is due to distracted drivers. However, that goes beyond texting and driving, using devices for other purposes, changing the radio station or eating. Cognitive distraction is a big issue, especially with other teens in the vehicle. With that, making a small mistake while driving and the lack of experience to correct it can cause auto accidents.
Muscle memory is referenced when discussing the ability to react to different circumstances. This generally means that a person will react without needing to think about what they are doing. Teens do not have the requisite experience to have accrued that muscle memory. Also, newer vehicles, with all the safety features, are believed to promote laziness and the lack of need for drivers to be active in their driving habits. In addition, installed enhancements that are intended to help with driving are distractions by themselves.
In New York, new drivers are only required to have 50 hours of driving with supervision. 15 of those hours must be at night. According to AAA, that should be increased to 100. Given the natural inclination to believe they are better at driving than they are, teens might be more aggressive and less cautious than they should be. This is especially true when they are on roads that are familiar to them.
After an auto accident, those who were injured or who lost a loved one will want to know what caused it. With the medical costs, lost income, long-term damage and even death that can occur in a crash, the investigation is vital to determine the cause of any injury and death.
