Avoid becoming another statistic

March 6, 2009

Do you know what the leading cause of death among teenagers is? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it's motor vehicle accidents.

Before we dive right into all the details, one word of caution. This article is a bit of a grim one. It contains no sugarcoating of the truth. What you're about to read is a bit shocking, but we're presenting this information to you because we're an online drivers ed provider that cares about the safety of all teenagers in California.

The breakdown? 16% of all teenage deaths are homicide related. 12% of deaths are suicide. And all other deaths aside from those that are motor vehicle-related add up to 37%.

Teenage deaths related to traffic accidents? A whopping 35%.

That means 35% of all teenage deaths—more than a third for all the number crunchers out there—are potentially preventable. Unfortunately, stupidity behind the wheel and not heeding the advice taught in online drivers education courses in California are contributing factors to such a dramatically high death rate.

So what causes teenagers to find themselves in such a vulnerable risk group? A number of factors are responsible. This week, we'll look at four of them. Once you understand why so many new teenage drivers in California get in a traffic accident and become just another statistic, you can do what it takes to avoid becoming one yourself.

Inability to detect hazards – Teenage drivers have difficulty detecting potential hazards while behind the wheel. An online drivers ed course such as the one offered at DriversEdOnline.com provides drivers with visual tutorials and key information that will help them identify potential road hazard to prepare them for life on the road. As a driver gains more experience while driving, they'll improve their ability to see potential threats.

Poor perception of risks – New drivers, even those who have taken a land-based or online drivers ed course, still have difficulty understanding the real risks on the road. They tend to underestimate the risks associated with hazardous situations and they also tend to be overconfident in their ability to getting out of risky situations and avoiding crashes.

They think they're invincible – Driving in California is not a game. Unfortunately, too many teenagers think they're invincible on the road and don't bother fastening their seatbelt. Seatbelts save lives in the event of a crash. Not wearing one can make you another statistic.

Lack of skill – New teenage drivers in California haven't yet mastered the skills they need to drive safely. While the best way to become a better, safer driver is through more and more hours behind the wheel, an in-class or online drivers ed course in California provides you with the key knowledge you need to be smart behind the wheel before you hit the road.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Next week we'll look at even more reasons why teenage drivers in California are most at risk for being involved in a traffic accident. Until then, drive safe.