Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

a href="http://www.jeffreysglassman.com/lawyer-attorney-1575402.html">Car accidents in Boston and elsewhere in the United States are the number one killer of teens.

They outpace drugs, cancer, suicide and other high-profile dangers, according to Delaware Online.

Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys ask that parent don't underestimate the role they play in molding their teen's driving habits. Their influence is especially important throughout the summer months. Remember parents, there is no summer break from safety and you're urged to be vigilant about staying involved and enforcing rules with your teen.

Teen drivers aren't the only ones who are at an increased risk of death. Oftentimes teens are killed as passengers of other teen drivers. According to recent studies, teens who ride with older siblings, teenage neighbors and siblings of friends also face an increased risk for being involved in a serious car accident. Even the best and brightest teen drivers face a high risk of being involved in a fatal traffic accident in comparison to drivers who have more experience.

To help keep our teens safe on our roadways, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has created a comprehensive teen driver safety website packed with state-specific driving and licensing information. This information aims to guide families through the learning-to-drive process.

The website recommends that parents in Massachusetts:

-Get Informed:,A lot has changed since you got your driver's license. Now teens must complete a graduated driver licensing (GDL) program before obtaining an unrestricted license. This program includes driver education, license restrictions and supervised practice driving. There are a number of parameters throughout the three-stage licensing process, such as times of day that they're allowed to drive and how many passengers they can carry in the vehicle with them.

-Start Talking: Share your road wisdom with your teen. Talk with them about what it takes to be a safe driver. Be sure to include conversation about rules and responsibilities of the road and fuel and insurance costs. This helps them to get a little insight so they won't have to learn everything the hard way. You can help to prepare them for everything that comes along with a driver's license. Maintain an ongoing dialogue when driving with your teen, appropriately restrict driving privileges and conduct plenty of supervised practice driving.

-Lead By Example: Focus on your own driver safety when traveling with your teen. They're likely to mimic your driving behavior. Influence them to always buckle up, to obey all road laws and to remain focused and cautious behind the wheel.

The state of Massachusetts requires that all parents and their teens conduct 40 hours of supervised practice driving. AAA recommends that parents and teens share at least 100 hours together.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 2,500 teen drivers were killed on U.S. roadways in 2009. Another 196,000 teen injuries were sustained from these incidents. Throughout that entire year, more than 5,000 teens were involved in a fatal accident. More than 10 percent of all drivers that were involved in a fatal accident in 2009 were between 15- and 20-years-old.

In 2009, Massachusetts witnessed nearly 50 teen deaths on our roadways.