As per the revelations of a new study, teen drivers are approximately 50 percent prone to crash in the first month of having their license than they are after a full year of experience driving on their own
John Pecchio, Tampa, Fla.-based manager of AAA Traffic Safety, said: “When a teenager gets a learner’s permit, typically he or she is riding with parents or other adults, usually in the daytime, in reduced traffic areas, on familiar roads — for the most part, we’re finding that it is usually to and from school.”
“But once they get their license, they move on to that next phase: they are often unsupervised, their nighttime driving increases, they travel more on unfamiliar routes, and they often have peers in the cars with them, which adds to the distraction. All that plays a large part in explaining that statistic,” he added.
Failure to reduce speed, inattention and failure to yield were the three common mistakes alluded to the 57 percent (study findings) of the crashes that involved teen drivers in their first month behind the wheel.
Crashes declined in number and frequency as teens gains some experience.
“The high initial rate and subsequent steep decline in certain types of crashes appeared to reflect teens’ initial inexperience followed by rapid learning. Crash types that decline more lowly appear to result not from lack of understanding, but from failure to master certain driving skills,” the study revealed.