Dangers of an Inexperienced Driver

Visibility was low on Highway 89 in Southeast Idaho due to blowing and drifting snow; the roadway was slippery. An 18-year-old attempted to slow down, but lost control hitting another vehicle head-on. The impact caused her car to spin and sideswipe a second vehicle. A 12-year-old girl was reportedly lying in the back seat of one of the vehicles involved; she died at the site. The drivers and other passengers sustained minor injuries. According to the Sheriff’s Office weather, road conditions, and driving too fast for conditions were all contributing factors in this fatal auto accident.

It’s their 16^th birthday and many teens head to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Parents hand over the keys and pray their child will drive safely and follow the rules. But, do teens really understand the dangers behind the wheel, even for the safest driver?

No one gets behind the wheel looking for danger so when it happens, drivers tend to overreact, especially teenagers. This can lead to serious or deadly consequences. Teen drivers have caused more auto accidents than any other age group. Teens are inexperienced and lack maturity behind the wheel; they are more likely to take risks and less likely to recognize and respond to road hazards. A speeding driver, especially and inexperienced one, is less able to negotiate turns and to steer around hazards. The faster a vehicle is going, the longer it will take to slow down or stop. It only takes one moment of inattentiveness at just the wrong time for an accident to occur.

Here is the dilemma – teens can only learn to drive and improve skills by practice, but this also puts them at a greater risk. Preparing your teen with knowledge and training will help ensure their safety and reduce your worries. Set limits, including the conditions under which teens are allowed to drive such as night time and inclement weather. When a teen is ready to take the road alone, parents need to continue taking an active role by talking about their child’s driving habits and emphasize careful driving. If your teen is not mature enough to handle the responsibility and follow the rules of the road, then he/she should not be behind the wheel.

Mark Bello has thirty-six years experience as a trial lawyer and fourteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Member of Public Justice, Public Citizen, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.