An Alameda car accident earlier this month that resulted in the injury of six teenagers provides a compelling example of the heightened danger of a car accident involving teenage drivers. The crash occurred when the vehicle driven by a driver that was only 15 departed the roadway and slammed into a tree. The car was transporting five teenage passengers with four being 15 and one being only 13. While the cause of the serious Bay Area accident is still being investigated, the significant driver distraction created by transporting teen passengers was clearly present. Law enforcement authorities are also evaluating whether drugs or alcohol played a role in causing the collision.
California’s graduated driver’s license program limits the right of inexperienced teen drivers to transport teen passengers that are not immediate family members. The rationale behind this restriction is that the lack of experience involving teen drivers makes them more prone to errors in perception or decision-making because they are distracted by conversations or activity with other teens in the vehicle. The higher risk involved with inexperienced teen drivers is also the rationale behind other types of restrictions imposed on teenage driver, including limits on nighttime driving and the zero tolerance law for teen drivers in California who have consumed alcohol prior to driving.
The Bay Area car accident earlier this month confirms recent study results indicating the value of restrictions on passengers transported by teen drivers. The study found that the risk of an inexperienced teenage driver being involved in a fatal car accident increases significantly when transporting teenage passengers. The results of the research also revealed that the degree of risk rises in direct correlation to the increase in the number of teen passengers.
Parents are well advised to carefully monitor their kids in terms of keeping them out of vehicles driven by teenage drivers. While teenagers often complain about the restrictions imposed on their initial driving privileges, the value of keeping the number of distractions and risk factors to a minimum when new drivers are learning can save lives and prevent serious bodily injury.
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If you are injured in a San Francisco auto accident, our experienced San Francisco auto accident lawyers at Zimmerman Law may be able to help. We invite you to contact us as soon as possible because critical deadlines apply. We invite you to contact The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman for your free initial consultation. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.