Florida Has the 10th Most Teenage Driving Fatalities
What's causing this troubling trend? A car accident lawyer in Central Florida explains what drivers should know.
Car accidents caused by teen drivers in Florida were recently ranked the 10th highest in the country compared to other states, according to a recent study conducted by Zutobi about fatal car accidents caused by teenagers.
The dangers posed by young, inexperienced drivers have long been a common cause of serious car accidents. We know because our experienced car accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Brent C. Miller, P.A., have worked with many people injured in collisions caused by young drivers.
Florida ranked 10th for teen driver fatalities.
Zutobi analyzed car accident data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) between 1982 and 2020. Initially, fatal car accidents caused by drivers 15 to 20 years old declined in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
However, in recent years, fatal car accidents caused by teenage drivers have started to increase steadily nationwide, especially in 2020. That year, teenage car accident fatalities increased by 19.5 percent compared to the previous year.
As for Florida, Zutobi found that the state had the 10th highest car accident fatality rate per capita – 31.1 deaths per 100,000 licensed teenage drivers. Conversely, Kentucky had the highest per capita teenage car accident fatality rate, with 71.45 deaths per 100,000 drivers.
Why do teenagers cause so many car accidents?
Car crashes caused by teen drivers occur for three primary reasons, according to the Zutobi study:
- Drunk driving – Even though teenagers cannot legally drink alcohol, drunk driving accidents caused by young drivers remain a common cause of serious collisions and fatal car crashes. In 2020, drunk teen drivers killed 523 people in driving under the influence (DUI) accidents.
- Speeding – Inexperienced teen drivers often travel at reckless speeds. By age group, teenage drivers cause significantly more crashes than all other age groups. Specifically, speeding plays a role in 43 percent of teen driver accidents compared to 30 percent for all other age groups, according to a Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) study cited by Zutobi.
- Distracted driving – Like speeding, distracted driving plays a much more significant role in collisions involving teen drivers than in other age groups. Like older adults, texting while driving often contributes to accidents caused by teen drivers. But having other teens in the vehicle can be even more distracting for young drivers. For example, one NHTSA study found that teen drivers were three times more likely to cause an accident if two or more passengers were in the car.
In addition, teenagers wear seatbelts less than other age groups and have difficulty driving at night due to inexperience, according to the NHTSA teen driver fact sheet.
How can a Central Florida car accident attorney help?
Many crashes caused by young drivers often become complicated legal cases. Sometimes, it's because the teenage driver denies doing anything wrong.
Other times, it's because the young driver's insurance company does everything it can to pay you as little as possible or nothing at all. That's when seeking experienced legal representation can put you in a better position to recover the compensation you deserve.
We know how to tackle tough legal cases at Law Offices of Brent C. Miller, P.A. We are proud to fight for the rights of injury victims in Central Florida and look forward to learning more about your potential legal case.
Take the first step and contact us to schedule a free consultation with a member of our legal team. There's nothing to lose by reviewing your legal rights and options, and we accept cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay no fees unless we win your case. Call us today to learn more. We conveniently have four offices in Central Florida, including Tavares, Inverness, Clermont, and The Villages.
