One of the greatest accomplishments in a teenager’s life is receiving their driver's license. Freedom, independence, all found in one little piece of cheap plastic. Yes, getting our license is very exciting, but most of us do not understand the odds that they are up against. Many believe that once they have their license they can do anything and forget about the risk that comes with all the new responsibility.
As a teenager, you become the most dangerous driver on the road. You have a responsibility to yourself and to all other drivers on the road. In fact, in 2011, about 2,650 teens in the United States aged 16-19 were killed and almost 292,00 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes. What makes teenage drivers such a hazard on the road? Eight factors called the Eight Danger Zones; driver inexperience, driving with teenage passengers, nighttime driving, not using seat belts, distracted driving, drowsy driving, reckless driving, and lastly impaired driving. The first danger zone is driver …show more content…
Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use. Not wearing seatbelts is a huge contributor to fatal crashes, in 2009 56% of fatal teen crashes the drivers and passengers were not wearing their seatbelts. Buckle Up! As time goes on, statistics have shown that teens are starting to increase their seatbelt use. For example in 2008 65 percent of passengers killed in crashes involving a teen driver were not wearing their seatbelt, but in 2011 that number has decreased to 50 percent. Because teens have not had as much driving experience, they are more susceptible to common drivers errors which have the potential to not be life threatening. But mix a common driver error with a person not wearing a seatbelt, and you have a seriously increased chance of turning that simple driving error into a fatal
As a teenager, you become the most dangerous driver on the road. You have a responsibility to yourself and to all other drivers on the road. In fact, in 2011, about 2,650 teens in the United States aged 16-19 were killed and almost 292,00 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes. What makes teenage drivers such a hazard on the road? Eight factors called the Eight Danger Zones; driver inexperience, driving with teenage passengers, nighttime driving, not using seat belts, distracted driving, drowsy driving, reckless driving, and lastly impaired driving. The first danger zone is driver …show more content…
Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use. Not wearing seatbelts is a huge contributor to fatal crashes, in 2009 56% of fatal teen crashes the drivers and passengers were not wearing their seatbelts. Buckle Up! As time goes on, statistics have shown that teens are starting to increase their seatbelt use. For example in 2008 65 percent of passengers killed in crashes involving a teen driver were not wearing their seatbelt, but in 2011 that number has decreased to 50 percent. Because teens have not had as much driving experience, they are more susceptible to common drivers errors which have the potential to not be life threatening. But mix a common driver error with a person not wearing a seatbelt, and you have a seriously increased chance of turning that simple driving error into a fatal