WHO’S THE SAFEST DRIVER: A TEEN OR A SENIOR CITIZEN?
If you were asked to choose between a senior citizen and a teen in terms of who the safest driver would be, you might struggle to do so. A recent report published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggests teens are the least safe of the two.
In fact, the IIHS found that teens between the ages of 16 and 19 have a 30 percent higher chance of becoming involved in car crashes than young adults age 20 and over. Additionally, according to the United States Census Bureau, those in their late teens are responsible for at least 12.2 percent of all car crashes whereas those 65 and over are to blame for nearly one half of that amount at 7.5 percent.
Distractions, either from cellphone use or passengers, are one of the main factors that contribute to teens becoming involved in car crashes. Other factors include failing to wear seat belts, operating the vehicle while intoxicated from either alcohol or drugs or engaging in aggressive driving.
Another problems teens face are that they are getting their licenses at increasingly older ages. This results in them having less experience driving on the road.
For seniors, their driving is mostly impacted by aging. Drivers from this age group find themselves responding less quickly to stimuli. They also experience decreased hearing and vision, which can adversely impact their ability to safely maneuver the roadways.
While teens and seniors account for nearly 20 percent of those believed to cause car crashes, there’s another 80 percent who are involved in wrecks that engage in other types of negligence.
If you’ve been struck and seriously injured by someone who was distracted, intoxicated or otherwise impaired, then a Bowling Green, Kentucky, car crash attorney may be able to help. In reviewing the specifics of your collision case, he or she can advise you of your right to file a claim for reimbursement of medical costs, lost wages and other expenses.
Source: Safety Resource Center, “Who causes more car accidents? The data may surprise you,” Dana Henry, accessed Aug. 16, 2017