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Accident Statistics For Teens Way Down For Past Ten Years
Over the last ten years, since the DMV has instiuted new rules for teen drivers, accidents are way down in California. But as will be seen, it could be that since there are less teens driving and getting experience, they may be getting into accidents when they are older?
Although teens have been angered over the years at the curtailing of their rights to drive until they are getting older and older, it appears the regulations are decreasing accidents on the roads.
According to a Los Angeles injury lawyer, and, the Automobile Club of Southern California is reporting that while teenager´s still continue to pose a risk on the roads, licensing laws have helped to reduce the amount of accidents.
According to the statistics released by the Automobile Club of Southern California that were released included the years from 1998 through 2007 and showed the number of 15 through 17 year olds that were fatally injured in vehicle accidents.window.google_render_ad();During these ten years the statistics showed the amount of fatal vehicle accidents dropped approximately 27 percent, from 1,134 to 823 fatally injured teenage accident victims.
These statistics were examined by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and their findings were that everyone is at risk. They feel that the decrease in deaths is due to the Graduated Driver Licensing Laws and is a positive move for everyone on the roads.
There was also an apparent difference in the amount of passengers and occupants in other vehicles involved in teen driving accidents who were fatally injured. According to this study there were 540 fewer deaths of adults, passengers and other motorists.
The total amount of fatalities attributed to teen drivers from these statistics was 1,855 over the ten year period and there was 540 teenagers, 631 passengers, 463 motorists and passengers of other vehicles and 219 non motorists.
But there is another concern that since teens can't start driver training till later in age, they are getting less experience. This could lead to more catastrophic accidents says at least one source.
The law was designed to reduce the number of teen drivers killed or injured in www.aaa-calif.com%2fcorpinfo%2fguides%2fteens.aspx “>traffic accidents . Unfortunately, the latest data indicate that young people just getting their licenses are more likely to be killed in traffic crashes today than were those who started driving under the state’s old, less-restrictive licensing system.
These unexpected results suggest that the safety experts may have gotten the teen-driving issue wrong, and that in fact it is not age but greater experience behind the wheel that makes older drivers safer than younger ones.
I started driving at 16, and I did get into a few fender benders, but the new rules are draconian and I think the reason accidents are down for teens, is because they are getting into accidents when they are older due to less experience. Therefore, I feel that the statistics are skewed in favor of more regulations.
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at 08:14 on February 28th, 2009
Great observation