{"id":6072,"date":"2019-01-21T03:57:43","date_gmt":"2019-01-21T11:57:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveviewgps.com\/blog\/?p=6072"},"modified":"2019-01-16T13:58:43","modified_gmt":"2019-01-16T21:58:43","slug":"newlylicensed-teens-18-months-higher-risk-car-accidents-close-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.liveviewgps.com\/blog\/newlylicensed-teens-18-months-higher-risk-car-accidents-close-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Newly-Licensed Teens Within 18 Months Have Higher Risk of Car Accidents and Close Calls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Teenage drivers who have fewer than 18 months experience with driving have a four times higher risk<\/a><\/u> of a near-crash event or a crash with risk factors like speed, distraction, teen passengers, inexperience, alcohol or medication or drugs, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).<\/p>\n

No matter how careful teen drivers are, they all start off inexperienced. Many will face a number of distractions. These distractions can be anything from chatty passengers to cell phones to turning up their favorite song on the radio.<\/p>\n

Teen drivers may be extra careful to avoid these distractions and pay attention to the road when they first begin driving. But, as they get more comfortable driving, they\u2019re more likely to start engaging in risky driving behaviors.<\/p>\n

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When teen drivers have other young passengers in the vehicle with them, this crash risk increases. Over half of kids between the ages of eight and 17 who die in a crash are passengers of drivers under 20 years old.<\/p>\n

Teen driving deaths seem to be increasing after years of decline which has prompted the AAP to update recommendations for parents and physicians to address risks such as distracted driving, speed and inexperience.<\/p>\n

Teen drivers with medical conditions like sleep apnea or attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be at an even higher risk since these medical conditions could affect their ability to safely drive.<\/p>\n

What Parents Can Do<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parents should:<\/p>\n