Norfolk, VA Personal Injury Attorney Reports: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Teen Drivers | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Most teen drivers don’t know why their parents make such a big deal about letting them drive. Simply put, new drivers don’t realize just how dangerous a car accident can be.

Serious injuries from car accidents are on the rise for teens, and a new AAA study shows that “teen drivers are approximately 50 percent more likely to crash in the first month than after a year of driving.” The reason behind that statistic is simple. Teens do not have enough experience driving and once you throw in the radio, texting, tweeting and their friends you have a deadly combination of distracted and inexperience driving.

How are teens supposed to get better at driving if they don’t drive? Studies have shown that the danger of car accidents from left hand turns and other routine traffic maneuvers decline sharply as teens gain more experience. The key is for parents to set strict rules in the first year of driving that help reduce the number of distractions that can cause a car accident for a teen driver. Things like no talking or texting on the cell phone as well as limiting the number of passengers a teen can have in the car.

As an experienced Virginia (VA) car accident attorney and father, I have seen how much pain and suffering can come from just a moment of inattention by a driver. Last August, for instance, several Portsmouth, VA, teens were killed when the driver of the vehicle they were riding in lost control and crashed.

If you find yourself injured in a car accident that was caused by a teen or if your teen is injured in a wreck, please read my firm’s free Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in Virginia.

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