Maryland Accident Law Blog

The AAA recently released driving suggestions for teen drivers who may not be used to driving in snow conditions. Here are some of the tips:

· Supervise your teen driver while he or she practices driving in snow or ice; let your teenager practice steering and hard breaking in skidding conditions
· Think about letting your teen driver only drive during daylight hours where they can see the weather and road conditions more clearly
· Try to avoid letting your teen driver’s first experience driving in winter weather be during a big snowstorm
· Remind your teen driver that drinking while driving will only make driving in winter conditions even more dangerous
· Ensure that your teenager’s motor vehicle has emergency equipment, such as a flashlight, cell phone, jumper cables, and an ice scraper.

Here are a few teen driver fatality statistics:

· Teen drivers make up 14% of all motor vehicle-related deaths
· 45% of the time that a teen driver was killed in a car accident, he or she was driving with another teenager in the car
· 1/3 of teen driver fatalities are speeding-related

Common causes of accidents when teen drivers are at the wheel:

· Not paying attention to the roads or weather conditions
· Driving too fast
· Not wearing a safety belt
· Tiredness
· Driving with other teenagers