A new study, however, indicates that teenage girls are engaging in risky driving habits. Young women, in fact, were around twice as likely as young men to use electronic devices while driving, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The study also determined that females were 10 percent more likely to be observed engaging in other distracted driver behaviors, such as reaching for an object in the vehicle or eating or drinking.
Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Mickey Fine, of the Law Offices of Mickey Fine, (Directions : Law Offices of Mickey Fine has represented seriously injured accident victims. An experienced car accident attorney, Fine has seen first-hand how devastating injuries can be to victims and their families.
Distracted driving has become an epidemic as more people use cell phones and other electronic devices. More than 3,000 highway deaths in 2010 were linked to distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It’s important for parents to talk with their teenagers about the dangers of using cell phones while driving or texting while driving.
Another study looking at gender and car accidents revealed that the number of young female drunk drivers is on the rise. In 2007, the risk of being involved in a drunk driving car accident was about the same for young female drinkers as it was for young male drinkers, according to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. In 1996, a male under 21 was four times as likely as an underage female to get into a fatal drunk driving car accident with a blood alcohol concentration of .1 percent, according to the study.
It’s not entirely clear why more young women are getting into drunk driving accidents, but they may be taking more chances on the road than they had in the past, according to researchers.
While teenagers may cause accidents due to their inexperience as drivers or because they have engaged in risky behavior behind the wheel, some young people can become injury victims through no fault of their own. If you were injured, or a loved one was injured or killed due to someone’s negligence, it’s important to speak with an experienced attorney who can protect your rights.