Maybe you do not remember, but when you first learned how to drive it was not easy, definitely not as easy as it looked. There were the slow drives in speeding traffic, lousy parallel parking, and popping the clutch. Learning to drive safely takes time and practice. Teenagers are especially immune from believing that they are not as careful as they should be and often put themselves in dangerous situations. Unfortunately, teens and car accidents seem to go hand in hand, not because they are bad people, just inexperienced drivers.

Statistics

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths according to the Centers for Disease Control. Each year, approximately 5,000 deaths, and more than 400,000 injuries occur that are related to teens and car accidents. Some other sobering facts include:

• Teen drivers are four times more likely to crash than older drivers
• Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use
• In 2005, 23% of teens that died in car accidents had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher
• Male teens are one and half times more likely to be involved in a car accident than female teens
• Teens only make up about 10 percent of the population, but account for approximately 12 percent of fatal car accidents

Common Factors

There are many reasons leading up to any automobile accident. Some of the common factors of teens and car accidents include:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Drinking
• Caravanning
• Inexperience

Some studies show that teen fatalities rates increase for each passenger in the vehicle.

Graduated Licensing

Clearly, steps must be taken to improve these numbers. One method being adopted by many states is with graduated driver's license programs. These programs appear to be improving some of these grim statistics in states that adopt them.

The GDL programs are designed to give inexperienced drivers more training in low risk conditions. There are some basic parts to managing GDLs;

• Different levels for different ages
• More restrictions apply to lower levels
• Must meet standards before moving to a new level

NY Graduated Licensing

In the state of New York, you must be 16 years old to drive. This includes out of state drivers who have a permit or license issued by another state. The following restrictions apply in the state of New York:

• With a learner's permit, regardless of your age, a supervising driver with a valid license who is over age 21 must accompany you.
• Junior level drivers cannot have more than two passengers who are under age 21 unless a parent or guardian is supervising.
• The supervising driver must ride in the front passenger seat.

In all states where graduated licensing is in effect, teen traffic deaths have dropped. The teens gain more supervised, but on the road training and are prevented from getting into situations that contribute to car accidents.

If your teen is in an accident, they will often be unfairly targeted as the responsible party. It is important to secure the services of a qualified automobile accident attorney to ensure that your rights are protected.