Anatomy of a Teen Car Accident

8:00pm
Jack, 17, drives to Sophia’s house on a Friday night. He’s late, so he speeds. Speeding is a factor in 35% of crash deaths involving young drivers.

8:10pm
Jack calls Sophia to tell her he’s on his way. Cell phone use increases the crash risk by 300%.

8:15pm
He picks up Sophia. Adding one passenger increases the fatal crash risk by 48%.

8:25pm
Jack and Sophia stop to pick up Matt. A third passenger increases the fatality risk by 158%.

8:30pm
Jack fiddles with the radio to find a good song. 87% of teen deaths involve distracted drivers; radios rank as a top teen distraction.

8:40pm
They hit the drive-through on their way to a party. Eating at the wheel causes 2% of teen crashes.

8:50pm
Jack is tired. Nearly half of teens are sleep-deprived, and young drivers cause 55% of fatigue-related crashes.

9:00pm
It’s now dark. For the next nine hours, teens are three times more likely to die in a crash than during the day.

Learn more.
Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s TEEN DRIVERS page.

Also review this guide about state laws relating to car accidents. It will help you have a better understanding of protocols such as the types of evidence you need to gather after your accident.