Teen Drivers and Teen Passengers, a Deadly Combination

As the parent of a North Carolina teenager, you may want to take some time to sit down with your child and implement certain rules when it comes to driving. Most teenage drivers and their parents are well aware of how dangerous it is to drive while using the phone. However, not as many recognize the dangers that come about when teenage drivers drive with teen passengers in their cars.

According to AAA Newsroom, teens who get into car crashes with teenage passengers in their vehicles increase fatality risks for everyone involved in the incident.

How teen passengers affect death rates

Studies show that fatality rates increase by 51% for everyone involved in a wreck if a teen who causes it also has a teenage passenger in the vehicle. The dangers are even more notable when it comes to those involved in the wreck but in cars driven by someone other than the teenage driver. These individuals are 56% more likely to die in a crash because of the teen passenger's presence. Cyclists and pedestrians also face a 17%-higher risk of fatality when a teen driver who strikes them has a teen passenger in the car.

How older passengers affect death rates

Studies show that the presence of a passenger who is 35 or older in a teen driver's car actually diminishes fatality risks. When teen motorists have passengers who are 35 or over in their cars and get into crashes, the older passenger's presence cuts fatality risks by 8%.

As a parent, you may want to think about banning your child from driving with other teens present until your teen has at least a few years of driving experience under his or her belt.