Saturday afternoon, a tragic accident occurred on Highway 231. According to FHP, two 17-year-old males were on the side of Highway 231 changing a tire Saturday afternoon. Subsequently, they pulled back onto the road, allegedly not looking to see if there were any oncoming vehicles and hit a motorcycle which had two people on it. Both people were thrown from the motorcycle. FHP reports that the passenger on the motorcycle died and the driver of the motorcycle is in critical condition at Bay Medical Center. Both people on the motorcycle were wearing helmets.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and the individuals who died and were injured in this accident.
Teen Driver Source has some alarming statistics about teenage driving.
· Nationally, 963,000 teen drivers were involved in police-reported motor vehicle crashes in 2013, which resulted in 383,000 injuries and 2,865 deaths.
· Motor vehicle crashes remain the No. 1 cause of death for adolescents.
· The greatest lifetime chance of crashing occurs in the first 6 months after licensure.
· Environmental conditions such as poor weather, vehicle malfunction, or aggressive driving, or physical impairments such as drowsy driving are not primary factors in most crashes.
· The fatal crash rate for drivers ages 16 to 19, based on miles driven, is four times higher than for drivers ages 25 to 69.6
· Distraction was a key factor in 58 percent of crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 19, according to an analysis of video footage of 1,691 moderate-to-severe crashes 6 seconds before they occurred.
· Distracted driving is a factor in 14 percent of police-reported crashes involving teen drivers.
The Florida DMV provides safety tips for teenage drivers,
1) Keep Your Cell Phone Off
2) Don’t Text
3) Turn on Your Headlights
4) Obey the Speed Limit
5) Minimize Distractions
6) Drive Solo
7) Practice Defensive Driving
8) Choose a Safe Car
Source:http://www.dmv.org/insurance/safe-driving-tips-for-teenage-drivers.php;
http://www.teendriversource.org/stats/support_teens/detail/57#sthash.Ylb5lf3O.dpuf
