After releasing a new report on fatal car crashes involving teenagers, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are advising states to increase nighttime driving restrictions for teenagers.
The CDC report examined fatal crashes involving 16 and 17-year-olds between 2009 and 2014 and found that 31 percent of crashes happened between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Also, 57 percent of crashes took place before 12 a.m.
The data suggest that restricting teenage driving at 10 p.m. or earlier would save lives, according to Ruth Shults, lead author of the study.
However, Kansas, North Carolina and New York are the only states that restrict nighttime driving at 9 p.m. Twenty-six states restrict teenage driving before midnight, while 23 states restrict teenage driving after midnight.
Most teenagers who are driving at night are on the road before 12 a.m., so these restrictions are not offering much protection, says Shults. For more information about what our auto accident attorneys can do for you, contact us today.
Advice for Parents
Nighttime driving is particularly dangerous for teenagers because they often do not wear their seatbelts and they do not have much driving experience. That is why parents should spend many hours as possible in the car with their teenagers as they improve their nighttime driving skills.
Parents should also remind their teenagers to avoid impaired or distracted driving because it increases the odds of getting into a serious accident. Plus, if their state does not restrict teenage driving before 9 p.m., parents should feel free to set their own restrictions, says Shults.
If you were injured in a car crash because of a negligent teenage driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the auto accident attorneys in Tulsa at The Edwards Furlong Law Firm for a free consultation to review your claim.