Most New Jersey drivers find themselves distracted from time to time. Yet, teenage motorists are especially susceptible to driver distraction. Sometimes, cellphones, in-vehicle navigation systems and similar technologies are a primary source of distraction. However, one of the most dangerous distractions for teen motorists is having other teenage passengers in the car.
According to AAA Newsroom, a teen passenger’s presence in a teen driver’s vehicle raises the chances of a subsequent crash proving fatal by quite a bit.
The impact teen passengers have on fatal crash rates
When teen drivers have teen passengers in their cars and get into accidents, the chances of that accident being fatal increase by 51% due to the teenage passenger being there. The dangers are even more noteworthy for people traveling in cars involved in the crash not driven by the teen driver.
Drivers and passengers in other vehicles involved in the wreck become 57% more likely to die because of the teen passenger being there. Any pedestrians and cyclists in the accident become 17% more likely to die due to the teen passenger’s presence.
The impact older passengers have on fatal crash rates
Research indicates that it is the age of the passenger, rather than the mere presence of the passenger, that raises the chances of a fatal car accident. Studies show that a passenger who is 35 or older diminishes fatal car crash risks by about 8% when he or she rides alongside a teen driver.
Some parents of teenage motorists are banning their children from driving with their peers until they have a certain amount of driving experience in an effort to reduce risks.
