This time of year means high school prom and graduation, which also means that teens experience extra pressure to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, raising their car accident risk. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, 21 Massachusetts teens died in motor vehicle-related crashes during May and June alone from 2004 to 2007.
Teen drivers are already three times as likely to be involved in a fatal car crash compared to other age drivers. The Centers for Disease Control rank motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for teenagers nationwide.
The added temptation of post-prom parties and graduation celebrations underscore the importance of making safe decisions. Just last week, a teen driver killed a pedestrian while driving home from a prom after party in Boston.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security along with AAA Southern New England recommend that parents of teens teach by example (wear a seat belt), ask teens where they are going and how they are getting home, and remind teens of the high cost of getting convicted of impaired driving.
Keeping teen drivers safe, WickedLocal.com, May 19, 2009
Contact the law offices of Altman & Altman if you have been injured in a car, bus, or train accident. Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys can answer your legal questions.