There’s a lot to be said for being young. Those in their late teens generally have the benefit of good eyesight and hearing and fast reactions. All those are big pluses when it comes to driving safely.
Yet, this age group fares badly when looking at crash statistics. According to National Safety Council figures, those aged 16 to 19 make up 8.9% of the drivers involved in crashes, despite only being 3.5% of licensed drivers.
So why is it that they have so many crashes?
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO A LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND OVERCONFIDENCE
Not everyone under 20 acts foolishly. Yet, if you think about how you and your friends acted around that age, you will realize you made a lot of dumb decisions that you would not have made were you older and wiser.
Anyone who makes a bad decision when driving puts themselves and others at serious risk. The decision does not need to be that big, either. It does not require driving up the wrong lane after missing a turning or driving at 120 mph. It merely requires a small error. For example, assuming a car will allow you to pass before pulling out or thinking it is alright to take the corner at 30 mph instead of 10 mph on an icy morning.
ONE TINY WRONG DECISION COULD CAUSE A CRASH
This holds true for all age groups, but people learn what works and what does not, what you can get away with and what you cannot as they gain more driving experience.
If you are in a crash with a young driver, get legal help to examine if their inexperience or overconfidence is to blame for your injuries.
