New Report: Speeding Among Teens Remains A Serious Concern

March 16, 2021

It is no secret that teens like to drive fast. A new study underscores the cost of speeding in terms of lost lives and reports this deadly problem may be getting worse. Experts offer ways to reverse this tragic trend.

Speeding is killing too many teens

The numbers are terrifying. Speeding was responsible for 43% of the 4,930 roadway deaths among teen drivers and passengers between 2015 and 2019, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA). By comparison, speeding was cited in 30% of the deaths of drivers and passengers 20 and older.

Other numbers in the report are just as terrifying. Due to stay-at-home orders and quarantines during the ongoing pandemic, fewer people were on the road in 2019. Yet fatal traffic accidents were on the rise. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 11,260 deaths on U.S. roadways between July and September 2020. This was a jump of 13.1% from the same time period in 2019.

Slowing down teen drivers

The GHSA released a series of recommendations to help states, authorities, and their residents reduce speeding among teen drivers, including:

• Educating elected officials, the media, and key influencers of teens (often social media creators) about the problem.
• Adopting national driving training programs, along with providing resources for states to conduct more extensive education and additional training for teens.
• Promoting graduated driver licensing laws, which call for learner’s permits, followed by an intermediate or provisional license, then an unrestricted license. The approach has proven effective in reducing teen crashes by restricting late-night driving and driving with passengers, as well as providing more low-risk experiences behind the wheel before teens drive on their own.
• Assisting the parents of teen drivers through resources like DriveItHome, offered by the National Safety Council.

Teen speeding is a pandemic of its own

If you have been in an accident caused by a speeding driver – teen or otherwise – you likely suffered major injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injury, concussion, broken bones, spinal cord damage) due to the high impact of the crash. Your injuries may leave you out of work and unable to pay your bills. Your injuries could have a lifelong impact on you and your family’s future. The driver who caused your injuries is unlikely going to admit they were at fault. They may even try to blame you. You’ll also likely be facing off against an insurance company that is more interested in protecting its bottom line than paying you the compensation you deserve.

The car accident attorneys at Villari, Giannone and Matteo have extensive experience protecting the rights of injured clients just like you in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We have law offices in Conshohocken and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Marlton, New Jersey. We have the expertise and the muscle to aggressively pursue justice and a fair financial settlement for you and your family. We also offer legal representation on a contingency fee basis, which means you only have to pay if we win your case. Contact us today for a free case consultation.