The Associated Press recently reported that deaths of younger teen drivers increased sharply in the first six months of last year. This was based on a report released earlier this week by state highway safety officials.
As per the Governors Highway Safety Association, deaths of 16 and 17 year old drivers in traffic accidents in the first six months of 2012 were up a combined 19 percent over the same period in the previous year. There were 107 drivers aged 16 who died between January and June of last year, compared to 86 drivers during the first half of 2011. Deaths of 17-year-old drivers rose from 116 in the first half of 2011 to 133 in the first half of last year.
Twenty-five states reported increases, 17 had decreases, and eight states and the District of Columbia reported no change in the number of 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths.
It is believed that with the advances in technology, distracted driving may be the cause of deaths among teen drivers.
Deaths of novice drivers had dropped dramatically over the past decade at a time when many states were imposing greater restrictions on teen drivers, including limits on driving with teen passengers or driving at night. As per the Associated Press, it is difficult to know exactly why teen driving deaths declined so dramatically, or why they now appear to be on an upswing, researchers said.
The long-term decline in teen driver deaths coincided with a historic, although more gradual, decline in traffic fatalities overall. That decline also appears to have been arrested. A report last week by National Safety Council said traffic fatalities rose 5 percent last year; the first increase since 2004 to 2005.
If you or someone you know have been injured in a car accident as a result of distracted driving, contact the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.