Teen Passengers A Hazard For Teen Drivers

Teenage drivers across California and the rest of the nation are susceptible to distraction. While cell phones are a common source of distraction, studies show that teen passengers also enhance dangers for drivers within this age group. When a teenage driver has a teen passenger in the car and that teen driver winds up in a car crash, the chances of everyone in the crash dying increases due to the teen passenger’s presence in the teen-driven vehicle.

According to AAA Newsroom, everyone involved in a crash caused by a teenage driver becomes 51% more likely to die in the wreck if the teenage driver had a teenage passenger in the car at the time of the incident.

How teen drivers impact fatality rates

A teen passenger’s presence in a teen-drive vehicle raises fatality risks for everyone. Yet, those riding or driving cars not driven by the teen driver face the most notable risk of dying. Drivers and passengers traveling on other cars and trucks are 56% more likely to die in a wreck with a teenage driver if there is also a teenage passenger in the car. Any cyclists or pedestrians in the wreck are also 17% more likely to die because of the teenage passenger being in the teen driver’s car.

What parents might do to enhance roadway safety

Some parents are making efforts to reduce fatal teen-involved wrecks and are setting limits on when and with whom their teenagers may drive. Studies show that passengers over 35 actually cut fatality risks when they travel in a teen driver’s vehicle, so some parents are also ramping up how much time they spend riding as a passenger in their teens’ cars.

Setting restrictions about driving at night and driving in inclement weather may also help reduce the number of teenage driver-involved wrecks that take place across California.