Each year, approximately 3,000 teenagers are killed in motor vehicle accidents around the country. Experts are concerned that those numbers may grow since 2015 saw a reversal of a downward trend in traffic fatalities overall that lasted from 2007 to 2014. In 2015, deaths from motor vehicle accidents increased more than 7 percent over the previous year, and this was the largest percent increase in 50 years. Estimates from 2016 so far show that the increase appears likely to continue. However, Florida parents may be able to help keep their kids safer on the road by modeling safer driving behavior such as not using cellphones while behind the wheel.
Distracted driving was estimated to cause nearly 9 percent of traffic fatalities across all age groups in 2015, but many experts believe it is underreported. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety says that 50 percent or more of accidents involving teens might be caused by driving while distracted.
Other causes of overall fatalities in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, were not wearing seat belts, speeding and driving while impaired. Continuing to raise public awareness may be one key to reducing these fatalities.
People who are injured in car accidents may find their lives altered for a long period of time or even permanently. Furthermore, it is not always possible to count on compensation from the insurance company. The driver who is at fault may be uninsured or underinsured. However, even when the driver who causes an accident is fully insured, the settlement offer from the insurer may be inadequate. If this happens, the injured victim might want to have legal assistance in seeking appropriate compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.