Teenagers continue to be at a higher risk for being in a fatal car accident. For the second year in a row, fatal car accidents involving teens has increased, puzzling safety experts as to why fatal car accidents have increased the last two years.
Fatal car accidents among teens ages 16 and 17 increased by 19 percent in the first six months of 2012, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Officials reported that the number of deaths increased from 202 to 240.
Ohio also saw an increase in the number of teens killed in car accidents last year. Last year, the number of fatalities increased from six to nine after the number of fatalities decreased the previous year. State highway-safety officials are concerned over the increase, saying that something needs to be done to prevent fatal car accidents involving teens.
Safety officials believe that distracted driving has played a significant role in the increase in fatal car accidents involving teenagers. Distracted driving has continued to cause car accidents in Ohio and safety advocates believe that once Ohio police officers are able to issue tickets instead of warnings to teen drivers who are texting, distracted driving should hopefully reduce.
However, that may not necessarily help prevent all accidents involving teens. Reports show that teen drivers are involved in more car accidents and fatal collisions than any other age group in the country. While distracted driving plays a significant role in causing these accidents, safety officials believe that driver inexperience and the fact that many of them are driving a lot right after they get their driver’s license has also contributed to the high rate of car accidents among this age group.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, “More teen drivers dying in crashes,” Sarah Bowman, Feb. 26, 2013
