The three months of summer break are often referred to as some of the deadliest days for teenagers on the road. This is because the rate of fatal teen accidents goes up over the summer.
It is important for adult drivers to understand this risk because they also have to share the road with teens. However, it is also important to remember that injury victims can include passengers in someone else’s vehicle when they cause an accident.
For instance, if your teen is riding with their friends and their friend makes a mistake that causes a serious crash, you may be able to pursue financial compensation on their behalf. They could experience pain and suffering, find themselves facing high medical bills for emergency treatment and much more.
Teen passengers increase crash risks
The reason that you specifically want to look out for this as a parent is that driving with passengers makes teens more likely to get into accidents. It can be distracting, or they may intentionally engage in risky driving behaviors in an effort to impress their peers.
Riding with friends is also very common. For many teens, one person will have a driver’s license, but the rest of the friend group will not. When they want to socialize over summer break, that person ends up driving around with multiple teens in the vehicle. This can be very dangerous for all involved, as the odds of a serious accident increase.
Note that in Indiana, as in other states, there are restrictions on driving with passengers for novice drivers. Under Indiana law, these restrictions apply during the first 180 days of driving with a probationary license.
If your child has suffered injuries, it can help to work with an experienced personal injury attorney to seek full compensation for medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering and long-term issues like disability or disfigurement.
