Teen drivers, teen passengers a deadly combination

More teen drivers take to South Carolina’s roads during the summer months, but this means enhanced dangers for everyone. Teenage drivers are more prone to a number of dangerous driving behaviors than older motorists, and they are also more susceptible to distraction. Research shows that a frequent source of distraction for teenage drivers is teenage passengers riding in the same vehicle.

According to AAA Newsroom, a teen passenger’s presence in a teen driver’s vehicle enhances fatality risks if that teen driver winds up in a crash.

How teen passengers impact fatality risks

Everyone involved in a car wreck with a teenage motorist is 51% more likely to die in that wreck if the teen driver who caused it had a teenage passenger riding alongside him or her. Those traveling in cars not driven by the teenage face an even higher chance of dying, with the teen passenger making them 56% more likely to die in a teenage driver-involved crash. If a teen driver hits a cyclist or pedestrian with a teenage passenger present, the cyclist or pedestrian is 17% more likely to die on account of the teen passenger being there.

How adult passengers impact fatality risks

When a teenage motorist has a passenger present who is 35 or older, the adult passenger’s presence actually reduces the chance of a subsequent car wreck proving fatal by 8%. This shows that it is the age of the passenger and not the mere presence of him or her, that affects fatality risks.

Some parents are making efforts to improve roadway safety by limiting who their children may drive with until they get more driving experience.