Teen drivers are in a category of their own because there are risks that apply especially to them.

The Utah Department of Public Safety published The Top Five Reasons Teenagers Crash On Utah Highways.

The causes and their percentages are:

Following too closely—16.4%

Most teenagers do everything at a greater pace. Any destination is important and when another car’s slow speed is keeping them from that destination a frequent response is frustration and tailgating.

Drivers of all ages are guilty of participating in tailgating and experiencing road rage periodically, but it is a problem that is mainly seen to end in accidents for teenage drivers.

Failed to yield right-of-way—13.4%

This infraction tends to go along with following to closely. It is something done when a driver is in a hurry and either does not want to wait their turn or does not even realize that right-of-way should be practiced in a given situation.

Speed too fast—11.2%

According to Allstate Insurance, 55% of teens said they exceed the speed limit by more than 10mph. Driving at excessive speeds can cause a loss of control and a decreased window of time to respond to situations on the road; both of which are dangers that are magnified by the fact that teenagers have a lot less experience in high-risk driving conditions.

Driver distraction—7.5%

Teenagers are often the first to allow new technologies into their lives. Texting and driving has continued to be a great problem for licensed teens. Livescience.com found that on average almost 60% of teens text while driving and since texting while driving is comparable to driving drunk, it is a serious cause of distracted driving.

Other improper driving—6.7%

Other types of dangerous or reckless activities that go on behind the wheel can cause a teen crash.

Having a driver’s license is a great responsibility. As a driver you are responsible for yourself, passengers and all other pedestrians and drivers that you are around. A vehicle is often an instrument in the injury or death of people we love. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident the attorneys at the Christensen Law Firm can help. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to find out what options are available to you.

AAA recently completed a study on teen driving that demonstrates how important driving experience is for new teen drivers.

The study was done on 50 families with beginner teen drivers in North Carolina. The study found that “in the first month of driving, teenagers are 50 percent more likely to get in a crash than teens who have been driving for one year.”

The research also suggested that parents need to spend more time in the car with their teenagers, as a passenger and as a teacher. AAA Foundation President, Peter Kissinger said, “the best way [to learn] is to practice with an engaged parent…”

Most parents agreed that they wanted their children to get a lot of behind-the-wheel practice but almost 70% of parents said that they did not spend more time driving because of busy schedules.

Teaching a teenager to drive can be an overwhelming responsibility and you might not know where to begin. Luckily there are many useful tools out there to help. AAA has a program called Teaching Your Teens to Drive that promotes driving in “graduated stages” and is taught “through a proven training curriculum based on the most common causes of teen-driver crashes.”

The program has been around for 11 years and is a complete 13-lesson guide to all aspects of driving from basic vehicle control to reducing risks while driving.

Teaching your teens proper driving strategies could literally keep them safe for the rest of their lives. Safe driving tips never become outdated or useless. Make the effort to find time in your busy schedules to properly educate and familiarize your child with the rules and risks of driving.

In the event that your child is involved in a car accident, you want someone who understands your position a parent to represent you. As fathers equally concerned with safety of their own, lawyers Kenneth Christensen and Russ Hymas will handle your case with empathy and care. Call us today at 801.506.0800 to find out what options are available to you.

The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been dubbed the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers and passengers. A study done between 2005-09 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that during June, July and August more than 7,300 teen drivers and passengers, aged 13-19, died in traffic crashes.

The monthly average of deaths per year is 422 for each month during the deadly 100 days and 363 during every other month. This significant difference is attributed to the fact that teens are out of school during these months and they have opportunities to be driving long distances each and every day for extended hours.

AAA representative, Rolayne Fairclough also stated, “teen crash rates increase with each teen passenger in the vehicle.” This is especially concerning during the summer months because teens often leave their homes and carpool to farther destinations than they normally would during months when school is in session. More families are also on the road during this time heading to vacation spots, they are a part of this statistic too.

There are many ways that parents can help to keep their children safer. The risk of a crash involving a teen is the highest during their first year of driving alone. For this reason trips should be limited. AAA even recommends setting limits by creating a driving contract between teens and parents.

Driving deaths increase so much during the summer months, that those 100 days now have a nickname. Awareness needs to be raised about this time so that teens and parents alike can help to lower this statistic and keep summer as the innocent, carefree time it should be.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident contact the car accident attorneys at Christensen Law Firm and to find out what options are available to you. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to schedule a free consultation.

As summer quickly came to a close, most kids were reluctant to leave the sunshine and head back to the classroom, but some certainly more than others. Why? The answer lies in student bullying. Our friends at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., in Michigan, recently published an authoritative infographic discussing student bullying. The story presented in the Deseret News today significantly strengthens the infographic’s point and demonstrates that the problem is not unique to Michigan, but a very real problem in Utah as well.

Studies show that one in ten students changes schools or even drops out because of bullying. Additionally, 15% of students who don’t show up for school do so because they are afraid of being bullied. The ramifications of children being afraid to go to school are that they miss out on the critical years of their educational journey as well as lose the opportunity to develop important social and problem solving skills.

Utah is one of 45 states that have anti-bullying laws, but what are the laws really doing? They certainly are not preventing the bullying from occurring. So what do we as a society need to do in order to get to the root of this problem and make children feel safe in school?

“Children have social goals they might not even recognize and those drive how they react”, said Karen Rudolph, a psychology professor whose work was published Tuesday in the Child Development journal. “It might also be possible to change social goals to make responses more productive [if we knew what motivated them],” she noted.

For more information on this subject and how it’s being handled across the country please refer to the infographic associated with this article. Talk to your kids; tell them your expectations; help them learn to communicate with their authority figures about what is going on. Make sure that you are involved in your children’s schooling so that if a problem arises, you can stop it before it hinders your child’s educational experience.

Inexperience and distraction were determined to be the most common reasons for teen crashes in a recent study. Alison Curry of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and her colleagues studied about 800 serious crashes involving teen drivers and found that about 76% were caused from inexperience and distraction as opposed to reckless driving and drinking. Curry states that the study “shows the vast majority of crashes occur not because the teen drivers are behaving badly, but because they have not yet developed the crucial skills they need.'' To prevent more teen crashes, most teen drivers just need more experience behind the wheel.

Reasons for Teen Crashes

Interestingly enough, the study found that teen crashes are usually more a result of more distraction behind the wheel than other drivers. Teens have been seen participating in a number of activities behind the wheel such as texting, watching movies, and even reading. This makes them less likely to be able to respond quickly to any dangers on the road or highway because not only are they distracted, but they usually speed up as a way to show off. This lack of driving experience makes teens more prone to injuries, especially in places with noticeably more traffic.

Teens account for a small percentage of the total driving population, but they account for 15% of all fatal traffic accidents. This and the fact accidents can involve expensive property damage repair, makes young drivers practice driving with an experienced adult before driving on their own a very sensible request. If your teen has been injured by a negligent party and you would like to discuss the accident with a personal injury attorney, The Christensen Law Firm can help. They are a reputable authority for the state of Utah and can help you navigate the wiles of insurance and Utah law. To contact the law firm for a free consultation on your teen crashes call 801-506-0800.