In New Mexico and across the nation, it is a natural concern that teen drivers will put other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians at risk. This is understandable. Simply being new will cause potential hazards. When adding risky behaviors into the mix, the danger is made exponentially worse. Studies are frequently conducted to assess why teens might cause an auto accident. A recent research project from WalletHub listed the best and worst states for teen drivers and New Mexico came in among the 10 worst. After a crash, this can be a key factor when seeking compensation.
Every day, there are an average of six teen deaths from an auto accident in the U.S. When the worst teen drivers were determined on a state-by-state basis, New Mexico came in ninth. In its study, WalletHub used 23 metrics. Included were the number of teen deaths, how much it cost to fix a vehicle and the extent of impaired driving legislation. The researchers came to a weighted average based on the metrics and calculated a score.
For people between the ages of 16 and 19, auto accidents are the most common reason for death. They are simultaneously the age group that has the most accidents. This is troublesome especially considering the relatively few number of people in that age range. Only 6.5 percent of the population fall into that category in 2016. Yet they accrued 8.4 percent of the costs for injuries from an auto accident. That is without factoring in property damage, insurance, citations and more. Since so many teens are excited to drive and getting a driver’s license is perceived as a ticket to adulthood and greater responsibility, it is problematic that so many are being injured and injuring others in auto collisions.
After a car crash, there will be many issues to think about. Medical expenses can be massive. The inability to work can reduce wages and make the financial situation untenable. The injured person might never return to normal and need treatment and care for the rest of his or her life. If there is a fatality, the family left behind must consider how they will move forward in a financial, emotional and personal way. The cause of the accident is key and a law firm that understands how to investigate car accidents should be contacted to determine how and why it happened. If it was a teen driver, this can be an integral factor. Calling for legal guidance is a must.