Nashville Automobile Accident Attorney Talks About Teen Driver Choices
Teen Driver Choices
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. In 2008, about 3,500 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes. Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females.
Reference a recent Tennessee automobile crash in Dickson County. A Tennessee teen driver of a 1992 Mazda Miata was speeding when it skidded off of a two-lane rural road. It appears that the driver lost control, went into a side way skid, left the roadway and then struck a tree, at which point it exploded or caught on fire. One of the victims was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from the car and killed. Information about the other was not available at the time of the article. My prayers go out to the families and friends of these two teens who perished in a totally avoidable crash.
Seat belts and child safety seats help prevent injury five different ways, by:
1. Preventing ejection: Ejection greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury. The chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight. Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection. The belted driver stays inside the car and is better protected from injury.
2. Shifting crash forces to the strongest parts of the body’s structure. To get the most benefit from a seat belt, be aware of the following points:
• The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvis with the bottom edge touching the tops of the thighs snugly.
• The shoulder belt should be worn over the shoulder and across the chest, not under the arm and over the abdomen. Make certain that the shoulder belt is not worn so loosely that it slides off the shoulder.
• Pregnant women should wear the lap belt below the abdomen and the shoulder belt above the belly.
3. Spreading crash forces overa wide area of the body. Safety belts reduce the possibility of injury from “hostile” surfaces inside the car (steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, controls, etc.). Even if the belted driver collides with some of these surfaces, it happens with much less force and often results in less serious injury.
4. Keeping the body more closely in the “properdriving posture.” The belt keeps the driver “in the driver’s seat.” The belted driver is better able to deal with emergencies and often avoids more serious trouble.
5. Protecting the head and spinal cord. The belted driver is less likely to be stunned or made unconscious by the crash and is better able to cope with the situation. Research has found that proper use of lap/shoulder belts reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent (for occupants of light trucks, 60 percent and 65 percent respectively)
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile crash casused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation.
Phillip Miller is a Tennessee Accident Attorney specializing in
Phillip has an AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb), has been designated as a “Superlawyer”, and is the President Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
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