Peoria, IL, Jan. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PEORIA, Ill. - Jeff Green works with car accident victims for a living. He’s seen how the smallest mistakes and seemingly innocent bad driving behaviors can cause devastation in the lives of so many people.
However, Green said that for all of his experience helping clients sort through the ruins of a serious vehicle crash, he believes that there could be brighter days ahead for drivers in Illinois, especially if we take driver training seriously.
“Younger drivers face several obstacles, some of which are unique to modern times and some of which every driver has faced,” Green said. “For example, today’s smartphones undoubtably contribute to the high rate of fatal crashes involving teens, but other forms of distraction have always been problematic for young drivers.”
Green said that we should all be paying more attention to the presence of other passengers in a teen’s car, because extra passengers are a major cause of distraction among young drivers. Understanding this danger can help parents and young drivers make smarter decisions.
“When a teen driver has just one other teenager in their vehicle, the risk of a fatal crash increases by about 50 percent,” Green said. “The more teens in the vehicle, the greater the likelihood of a deadly accident.”
When a teen driver has an adult aged 35 or older in the vehicle, the likelihood of a fatal crash actually decreases.
Green said that inexperience - one of the biggest threats to younger drivers - can be dealt with only by logging more hours behind the wheel.
“Inexperience is one of the biggest contributor factors in crashes involving young people,” Green said. “The only way to tackle that is by driving more. We just need to be sure that those hours are quality hours overseen by parents who are teaching their children to observe safe practices.”
A recent news piece by WSIL reporter Brooke Schlyer highlighted the lack of experience Illinois teens have before coming to their high schools’ driving classes. In the piece, driver’s education teacher Greg Storm discussed the situations that make younger drivers more uncomfortable, including heavier traffic and intersections.
Green believes that instilling better driving habits in younger motorists means gradually exposing them to these environments while they are being supervised by an experienced adult.
“We know what kinds of environments are most intimidating, so we must acclimate teens, build their confidence and make sure they are comfortable navigating a wide range of scenarios before we allow them to drive alone or with their friends.”
About Jeff Green:
Jeff Green is a car accident attorney in Peoria, Illinois. He has represented hundreds of clients across Illinois, recovering millions of dollars on their behalf.