Everyone is concerned over maintaining the safety of their loved ones. Relatives and close friends all hope for the safe arrival of families traveling across the state or just across town. One group that gets a considerable amount of attention are those younger folks in their teens and growing up to be adults. As a Maryland injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I’ve seen the statistics and I know how scary it is for parents of teens and young adults.
When it comes to car, truck and motorcycle accidents, young people are definitely over represented in terms of deaths and injuries sustained on the road. It’s not surprising then that parents go grey just about the time their kids take their first driving lessons. While it’s difficult to change the habits of entire age groups, a recent article gave us hope that here in Maryland, parents can sleep somewhat more soundly at night.
According to a news article, automobile accident statistics support the notion that young people (those aged 15-20 years old) are at increased risk of getting into a motor vehicle accident than any other group. It is disheartening to note that while this age group makes up less than seven percent of the general population, it accounts for 14 percent of all car accident cases.
A recent survey of teen driver safety was recently published by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The good news, at lease for Maryland residents, is that our state ranks fourth in a compilation of the best states for teen drivers. Those who live in the District can rest even more soundly, as Washington, D.C., scored the top ranking.
To determine this ranking, researchers looked at 11 indicators affecting teen driving safety. Five were based on U.S. government driving, accident, and road quality statistics, while the other six relied on independent ratings of each state’s driving and safety laws from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
A sampling of the ranking variables include: safety belt, teen driving, DUI/DWI, distracted driving, and motorcycle helmet laws, as well as individual state statistics such as ratings of road conditions, average vehicle miles traveled per capita, and average percent of teens in each state with driver’s licenses.
Safest states for teenaged drivers, Examiner.com, March 19, 2010