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3 Common Driving Mistakes Teens Make

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This article is sponsored by DMVedu.org.

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The National Safety Council recorded approximately 40,000 road accident fatalities in 2018. While this is lower than the figures in 2017, it’s still a significant increase from four years ago. In a survey done by AAA in 2018, 73 percent of respondents rated themselves as above-average drivers. This shows that many people, especially men, are confident that they won’t get into traffic accidents even though the data says otherwise. Further disproving this belief is the fact that human error accounts for about 90 percent of traffic accidents.

When it comes to teenage drivers, the statistics are even more staggering. The younger a driver is, the higher their chances are of getting into a car accident. One study even showed that accidents involving drivers between the ages of 16-17 are double that of those between 18 and 19. Why are young drivers prone to accidents? Listed below are three of the most common mistakes teens commit while driving.


1. Texting

In a survey conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy, over 30 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 admitted to texting while driving. Texting is considered the most dangerous type of distracting activity. In fact, it increases a person’s risk of getting into an accident by as much as 23 times. Despite laws which prohibit texting while driving, many teens still do it. Unfortunately, this risky practice is prevalent in states which give learner’s permits to 15-year-olds.


2. Speeding

In a 2015 report from the NHTSA, at least 18 percent of drivers involved in fatal car crashes were speeding. This reckless driving behavior is more common amongst young drivers, particularly men. In the same study, it was revealed that male drivers in the 15 to 20 and 20 to 24 age groups were responsible for 32 percent of speed-related accidents.


3. Driving under the influence

According to the NHTSA, approximately 30 people die every day in the U.S. due to drunk drivers. Just like texting and speeding, drunk driving is something a lot of young drivers do. In fact, drivers aged 16 to 24 years old were responsible for over 40 percent of DUI-related deaths in 2017. The minimum legal drinking age in all states is 21. The NHTSA says that over 30,000 lives have been saved from 1975 to 2017 because of this law. However, due to immaturity and inexperience, teens are still likely to make this deadly mistake.

One way of helping your teenage driver get the proper training and education is to enroll them in a Driver’s Ed online course. It’s a convenient way to ensure your teen is learning everything they need to know to become a smart, safe driver. As of today, 32 states now require teenagers applying for a driver’s license to have completed a driver’s education course. And according to AAA, taking a course like this helps reduce car collision rates in teens by 4.3 percent. Do yourself — and other drivers — a favor and enroll your teenager in an online course to help them learn the important rules of driving.