Car accidents occur daily throughout Wisconsin, and a variety of factors may contribute to the causes of such accidents. In 2012, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) reported that 57 teenagers, between the ages of 16 and 19, died in fatal car crashes. Additionally, statistics show that car crashes with teen drivers are more likely to involve “high-risk factors.”
Teenagers are more susceptible to car accidents for several reasons. For example, inexperience and distracted driving play an significant role in the occurrence of teenage car crashes. However, the following tips can help keep teen drivers safe while on the road.
Safety Tips for Parents and Teenage Drivers
- Discourage all phone use while driving: Encourage teenage drivers to refrain from talking, texting, and posting to social media sites while driving. Distracted driving has been known to take a driver’s attention off of the road and cause car accidents. With the abundance of technology and easy access to social media sites, children are often distracted by message alerts when they should be focused on the road. Parents need to stress the importance of keeping eyes on the road at all times.
- Discuss the importance of headlights: Headlights are essential, especially at night, so that other drivers can see approaching vehicles. Remind teen drivers that it is imperative to keep headlights on. This allows drivers to see oncoming cars and also alerts other drivers of their existence on the road.
- Discourage speeding: Stress the importance of obeying all posted speed limits, even those on the highway.
- Encourage defensive driving: Sometimes it is not only important to follow the rules of the road, but to react when another driver fails to do so. Aggressive driving is frowned upon and can actually cause accidents. However, defensive driving protects a driver in precarious situations.
Contact a Wisconsin Auto Crash Attorney
If your teenage driver has been involved in a car accident in Wisconsin, please contact one of our Green Bay auto crash attorneys or Appleton auto crash attorneys at [[title]] Our offices are conveniently located in Appleton, Green Bay, and Oshkosh. We will carefully review the facts surrounding your teen’s case to help receive the compensation deserved.