Teen drivers in Georgia and elsewhere are more likely to get into an accident in the first three months that they have their licenses. That is the finding of a study conducted by Virginia Tech and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the study, teen drivers were more likely to brake too hard and accelerate too fast, which increases the odds of an accident.
The study did find that teens were less likely to drive in a dangerous fashion as they gained experience. They also noted that there were some skills that they couldn’t truly master when driving with their parents. Furthermore, it was determined that teen drivers drove better at night and in times of inclement weather compared to their parents. According to the NIH, it may be best if teens are allowed to progress gradually from driving with adult supervision to driving on their own.
In April 2018, an NIH study found that car accident fatalities were the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 14 and 19. In Illinois, the number of teen accident fatalities dropped from 155 in 2007 to 76 in 2017. This was after the state instituted changes in 2008 that required teens to spend more time learning how to drive.
Anyone who is hurt in motor vehicle accidents may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. Passengers in the vehicle that caused the crash to occur may be able to seek compensation for damages related to the driver’s negligence. Injured pedestrians may also have a claim against that driver. Negligence may include driving too fast for road conditions or making an improper lane change. It may also involve going through a red light or otherwise failing to obey a traffic control device.