The number of car accidents involving teen drivers is on the decline, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, car crashes continue to be the Number 1 cause of death for teenagers.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed fatal teen accident data between 2004 and 2008 and found a substantial decline in accident rates during this time. This report points to evidence that vehicles have become safer, more teens are wearing seat belts, and drunk driving has decreased. The direct credit for better teen driver safety may be directly related to more restrictive teen driving laws, stepped-up law enforcement and targeted public safety campaigns.
As a Missouri crash lawyer and highway safety advocate, I hope parents do not take this news to mean that they can afford to be complacent about their teen drivers. Since 2008, distracted driving among teens has risen to epidemic levels due to texting and cell phone use. I have attended 2 national summits devoted to the issue of distracted driving. Although more states are enacting laws outlawing texting while driving, it is going to take more than laws to curb the distracted driving crisis.
In this regard, I am launching a teen driver safety campaigns called Reality Check. This is a high school driver education program that focuses on the reduction of texting while driving and impaired driving. For more information, visit www.highwaysafetyattorney.com.
In addition to being a Missouri crash attorney, Horn is a highway safety advocate. He has been featured in radio, television, and newspapers speaking out on many different topics that relate to highway safety. He is a member of the American Association of Justice, Missouri Trial Lawyers Association and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.
