Car Accident on the East Freeway Leads to a Tragedy
On the morning of August 29th, a young 19-year-old man perished in a car crash that occurred on Interstate 10 East Freeway.
Details About the Accident
According to Houston authorities, a young man in a Mazda was violently rear-ended by a Jeep Wrangler. The 19-year-old was rushed to the Memorial Hermann Hospital. Unfortunately, the young man did not survive the car accident.
The accident caused all of the eastbound lanes between McCarty and Mercury on I-10 to be shut down for hours.
The woman driving the Jeep was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment of her non-life threatening injuries. According to police, she did not show any signs of impairment.
Authorities are still investigating the car crash.
A Growing Concern
According to research conducted in 2016 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the rate of teenagers involved in a fatal crash increased between 2015 and 2016 by 2.1 percent – and unfortunately – it appears as if those statistics are only increasing.
Other jarring statistics that the research uncovered included:
- Approximately 1,908 young drivers perished in motor vehicle crashes in 2016.
- Around 9 percent of drivers that were involved in crashes in 2016 ranged between the ages of 15 through 20 years old.
- 47 percent of victims were not wearing any restraints.
- Approximately 254 motorcyclists between 15 and 20 years of age died as a result of a crash.
- Roughly 24 percent of drivers between the age of 15 to 20 years old that perished in a car crash had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 g/dL or higher. Around 84 percent of those drivers had a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or higher.
Three Main Factors that Contribute to Young Driver Car Accidents
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA) , there are three main factors that contribute to fatal crashes involving young drivers. Those three factors are:
- Distractions – Distractions like talking with friends in the same vehicle and smartphone use while behind the wheel cause around 6 out of 10 car accidents for young drivers.
- Not Wearing a Seatbelt – The AAA highlighted that 60 percent of young drivers in 2015 perished in a car accident because they weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
- Speeding – 30 percent of young drivers that were involved in a fatal car accident were speeding.
How to Keep Our Teens Safe
In order to prevent future teen driver fatalities, we as parents and a community must:
- Make clear and decisive rules for the family when it comes to driving. The AAA calls it a “Parent-Teen Driving Agreement” and there is a downloadable agreement that can be found here.
- Lead by example; teach proper driving techniques and avoid risky behaviors when behind the wheel.
- Have conversations with your teen regarding what can be considered a distraction while driving and the dangers that can occur because of speeding.
- Show your teenager the ropes by providing in-car supervised car trips. That way, you can give them appropriate feedback in real time.
- Set expectations with your teen driver, enforce the rules and explain the consequences if they aren’t adhered to.
- Ensure your teen driver understands what to do if they have been involved in an accident or what to do if their car stalls.
- Grab a driver’s guide from your local DMV. Review the content with your teenager.
Has your teen driver been involved in an auto accident? Contact the dedicated Houston car accident attorneys at Lapeze & Johns today.
Car accidents are a traumatic experience, regardless if you are an experienced or inexperienced driver. It is, however, imperative that you know what rights you have, just as it is important to recruit the help of Lapeze & Johns to fight for your deserved compensation. Your recovery may depend on it.
Contact us at (719) 739-1010 for your free legal consultation today.
Information and image pulled from abc13.com.
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