Distracted Driving Big Problem for Maryland Teenage Drivers

Teenage distracted driving accidents are some of the most dangerous collisions in Maryland.  It’s been well established that teens are accident prone because they are inexperienced.

However, one study found that a huge issue for teens is simply that they’re distracted when they’re driving.

Teenage Distracted Driving Accidents in Maryland

When you combine these distractions with the lack of experience, a teen who takes his or her eyes off the road for any reason is far more likely to cause a crash in Carroll County, Maryland.

To find this data, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety used videos that were taken inside of cars that had crashed while teens were behind the wheel. They were able to find 1,700 such videos, giving them a very good sample size.

In those 1,700 tapes, they found that almost 60 percent of the teen drivers were distracted. Police had previously estimated that distractions were present at a far lower rate, but the 60 percent figure is four times higher than a lot of these other estimates.

Distractions can take on many forms:

• Texting and driving
• Eating while driving
• Talking to friends
• Changing the radio station
• Using a GPS system
• Talking on the phone

Teen drivers have the highest crash rate of any age group. About 963,000 drivers age 16 to 19 were involved in police-reported crashes in the U.S. in 2013, the most recent year for available data. These crashes resulted in 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths.

Free Teenage Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Consultation

Have you been injured by a teen driver who wasn’t paying enough attention?

If so, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries.

Contact Albers & Associates to schedule a free consultation with our Carroll County Personal Injury Lawyers.  Maryland Personal Injury Attorney Ross W. Albers is former Maryland insurance adjuster that knows what you’re up against.