Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
A recent teen car accident in Boca Raton left an 18-year-old driver seriously injured. According to News Channel 5, the accident was a single-car crash that happened about a half a mile from the teen’s home. It happened when the teen’s vehicle drifted out of its lane and into two trees just before 1:00 a.m. The driver was taken to Delray Medical Center and was last listed in critical condition.
Our Boca Raton car accident lawyers understand the risks that these young drivers face on our roadways. They’re not equipped with the experience behind the wheel that you and I are. For this reason, they face some serious risks for car accidents. As a matter of fact, car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens nationwide. They have higher risks for accidents than any other age group of drivers.
We can help though. By talking with these young ones about the risks and the dangers they’ll face on our roadways we can help to keep them alert and safe behind the wheel. We should all talk to them about the importance of safe driving habits. These talks can save lives.
In the state of Florida, there were more than 235,460 car accidents in 2010, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). Of these accidents, more than 2,440 people were killed. Another 195,000 people were injured. Nearly 110,000 were property damage-only accidents.
Teens had a lot to do with these accidents, too. In 2010, there were nearly 100 teen drivers killed on our roadways. Another 64 teen passengers were killed in Florida, too. There were also nearly 11,000 teen driver injuries and another 8,000 teen passenger injuries that year. In total, there were nearly 30,000 teen car accidents. From 2009 to 2010, there was absolutely no change in the number of fatalities among teen drivers. This is all despite the overall decrease in the total number of accidents and fatalities among all drivers.
To help to bring these risks down, parents, guardians and educators are urged to sit down with the teens in their lives and talk to them about the real dangers that they’re going to face behind the wheel.
Warn them about the consequences of driving while distracted, driving under the influence and driving aggressively. It’s important to offer these young drivers plenty of supervised driving time, too. Set a good example by driving on your best behavior when these young ones are in the car. It’s also a good idea to enact some household driving rules. Consider enacting a curfew. Accidents are more likely to happen during the evening hours when it’s dark outside. You’re also encouraged to enact a passenger limit. With each young passenger present in the vehicle with your teen driver, their risks for an accident increase.
If you or your teen driver has been involved in a car accident in Boca Raton, Port St. Lucie, Hallandale or in any of the nearby areas, contact the injury lawyers of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC to schedule a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Teen Car Accidents in Hollywood and Elsewhere Likely with Text Messaging, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, June 21, 2012
Car Accidents in Port St. Lucie and Elsewhere Landing Teens in Jail, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, June 5, 2012