What is the leading cause of death among teens ages 15-20? At the top of the list, according to researchers, are both immaturity and a lack of driving skills.
Simply put, a lack of experience directly affects the recognition of as well as the response to, hazardous situations. That leads to both speeding and tailgating. And there’s more.
Night driving is a major factor as are teen passengers. I’ve had experience with all these and many more factors in my years as a newspaper and TV news reporter as well as my work with the property and casualty insurance industry.
I have seen what happens when teens are involved in early evening and late night crashes. Experts note these are the times of day when the most accidents occur with teen drivers. And it is no surprise that there is a greater chance of teen-involved accidents when other teens are present in a vehicle.
Not long ago while watching a TV show, I heard the squeal of brakes and then a loud “thud” just up the street from my home. It was mid-evening and we live near a hill. The motorist was driving too fast down the hill and when all was said and done, the car did a 180-degree slide, hit the curb and came to rest in the front yard of a home.