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Teen Driving Accidents

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Imagine yourself as a sixteen year-old. You just got your driver's license, and you and a few friends are going to celebrate. However, at ten o'clock, you don’t pay attention to the road, and you crash into another vehicle. Two of your friends die on scene, and your other friend is severely injured. For thousands of teens each year, this is a reality. Teens ages 16-19 are more likely to get into a car crash than any other age that drive including seniors.

In 2015, 2,333 teens in the U.S. alone were killed and 221,313 teens were sent to emergency departments for motor accidents in 20141. This means that around six teens died each day1. There are many causes to teen related vehicular accidents. One of those causes is alcohol. Alcohol is a dangerous substance that should not be used before drinking at any age. In 2015, 379 drivers were killed and 56 of those teens had a BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of over 0.08% which is the maximum amount to be allowed to drive. That’s 15% of teens who drove and were killed. In 2014, teens between the ages of 15 and 20 years who were involved in fatal vehicular crashes, 24% had been drinking 1. Of those 24% who were drinking, 17% had a BAC level of over 0.08%. Another cause of death or fatal injury in the teens age section is the use of cell phones. This one is a well known fact to everyone, “ Don’t text and drive”. For many teens and adults, a smartphone is a main part of their lives and they constantly are checking it. Therefore, there can’t be anything good that comes out of driving and using it. When someone is texting and driving at the same time, it causes a 400% increase in time spent with eyes off the road. According to a AAA poll, around 94% of teen drivers understand the risks of texting and driving but 35% have admitted to doing it regardless of the consequences 2. About 21% of teen drivers that are involved with fatal accidents were distracted by their use of cell phones 2. In 2013, 10% of all drivers ages 15 to 19 that were involved in life-threatening accidents were reported to be distracted at the time of the crash2. Some people may argue that raising the driving age could cause problems.

Some people may say that allowing teens drive at the age of 16 would

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