Does Technical Driving Skill Play a Role in Reducing Car Accidents?

 Posted on April 12, 2018 in Personal Injury

When considering the reasons why teen drivers are more likely to be involved in car accidents in DuPage County than older drivers, one may assume that teens do not have the same skills as more experienced drivers. However, according to a recent study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles and reported by CBS News, many teens performed better than older motorists, even when traversing some of the worst roads in the state. In other words, teens may have more technical driving skills than most of us. Why, then, do teen drivers have a higher rate of serious and fatal collisions?

Teens Have Higher Skill Ratings Than Older Drivers

The study looked at 100 novice drivers who were preparing for their driver’s license test. The drivers were not necessarily teens, but were simply inexperienced drivers who were just learning to drive. Generally speaking, the researchers determined that teen drivers tend to have a higher skill rating than even slightly older drivers, and that is true for both male and female drivers. While female teen drivers have less confidence in their driving skills than male teen drivers, the study showed no difference in skill set among male and female drivers. Where the difference comes in is age. To reiterate, teens tend to have better driving skills than older drivers.

Yet at the same time, the researchers underscore that teens certainly do have a higher rate of serious and fatal accidents than older drivers. Indeed, teenagers have a greater number of serious accidents than any other age group, according to the study. In particular, male teen drivers have especially high crash rates. What is causing teen accidents if not a lack of skills? In short, teens do not heed safety precautions at the same rate as older drivers.

Safety-Conscious Teens Who Are Athletes May Be Better Drivers Than Others

If teens paid attention more closely to safety considerations, as the study suggests, we could see a sharp reduction in teen driving crashes. Throughout the study, the researchers hypothesized that the relatively high accident rate of younger drivers is potentially a result of inattention to safety, as opposed to a lack of driving skills. Hence, if teen drivers were more safety-conscious, the study suggests that they may have fewer accidents than any other age group. What makes teens more skillful drivers than those in other age groups? The answer to that question might surprise you.

In brief, the researchers determined that teens who play sports were the most skilled drivers in the study. Teen athletes showed faster reaction times and better peripheral vision than other teen drivers, and both skills allow drivers to avoid accidents, especially when there is significant traffic on the road.

On the flip side, teens who claim that playing video games gave them better driving skills were proven wrong. According to the study, teens who spent a significant amount of time in front of a video game screen were no better than average on the road.

Contact a Lombard Car Accident Attorney

Many teen driving crashes happen because teens are not being safe—or are behaving negligently—behind the wheel. If you were injured in a crash and believe driver negligence was the cause, you should speak with a passionate DuPage County car accident lawyer about your case. Contact Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices today.