Driving is a very dangerous and often hazardous thing to do. This is especially true for people ages fifteen to nineteen. There are so many crashes each year for teen drivers that it’s a miracle anyone makes it past twenty years old unharmed. In 2009 alone three hundred and fifty teens were treated for a car related accident.
Teen car crashes are preventable. Often times teens drink before they drive or while they drive which makes the vehicle they are operating at the time unsafe for them, and the other people that might be in the car with them. In 2007 twenty five percent of drivers between the ages of fifteen and twenty had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher when they crashed.
Another reason that teens die in car crashes is from the lack of wearing a seatbelt while in the car. In 2007, when polled, drivers between the ages of fifteen and twenty said that they only wore a seatbelt ten percent of the time when driving with other people. For people between the ages of fifteen and twenty years old, this is not only a death wish, but also illegal in most states. You will most likely be killed in a car crash if you are without a seatbelt, and you will most definitely be ticketed if you are found not wearing your seatbelt in a state that requires it. It doesn’t take that much effort just to strap yourself into a car with a convenient seatbelt, and it can save your life! I have made it a habit to always buckle up when in a car.
In conclusion, the statistics against drivers who are between the ages of fifteen and twenty are overwhelmingly treacherous, but with a few easy guidelines, “you too can prevent car crashes.”