It will be obvious to most residents of Texas, especially parents, that summer is a dangerous time for teens to be out driving. School is out, and parties, many of which will serve alcohol, become more frequent. All of this exacerbates the fact that teens are already inexperienced behind the wheel and all too prone to act in reckless ways.
The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the “100 deadliest days” because it almost invariably sees a rise in teen driving crashes and fatalities. Between 2008 and 2018, in fact, more than 8,300 people died in such crashes during the 100 deadliest days.
Each year before summer approaches, then, parents will want to make sure their teens are clear on what constitutes safe driving. They can speak about the safety risk posed by drowsy, distracted, drunk and aggressive drivers. They can also consider coaching their teens during practice driving sessions. AAA recommends at least 50 hours of this practice driving.
Parents and teens should understand just how widespread this issue is. Seventy-two percent of drivers aged 16 to 18 who were surveyed in AAA’s Traffic Culture Safety Index admitted to driving negligently with 47% speeding in residential areas, 40% speeding on freeways, 35% texting and 32% passing through red lights.
Motor vehicle accidents (car, truck, motorcycle crashes) are almost always the result of negligence of one kind or another and can thus lay the foundation for a personal injury claim. Those who intend to file a claim may want to have a lawyer assess it. Plaintiffs can recover damages as long as their own degree of fault does not exceed the defendant’s, but contributory negligence will naturally lower the amount they recover. With a lawyer, the chances of achieving a fair settlement may be higher.