Police in Holly Springs, North Carolina (NC) are investigating a crash that occurred Saturday afternoon that killed one area teenager. WRAL.com reported that the accident happened around 2:20 p.m. at the Holly Springs intersection of Piney Grove Road and Wade Nash Road. Reportedly, a teenage girl driving an SUV collided with a pickup truck. The 16-year-old girl was killed in the accident, but the pickup driver was not injured.
Regardless of who caused the crash, the fatality is a tragedy. To lose a child is a devastation that leaves a permanent hole in a parent’s heart, and I extend my deepest condolences to this family as they mourn this loss.
Teenage drivers are at the highest risk of being in an accident compared to any other age group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens age 16-19. In fact, they are three times more likely to die in a car accident than older drivers, with the greatest risk being among drivers who have only driven a few months.
When teens reach driving age, parent-supervised driving in combination with drivers licensing programs gives teens as much knowledge about driving safety as they can. Distracted driving increases the risk of having an accident dramatically, and our firm believes in speaking to students about the dangers of distracted driving to reinforce this point. The reality of driving is that there are some lessons an driver can only learn through experience behind the wheel.
Graduated driver licensing systems that have proven to reduce crashes by 38-40%. In North Carolina, starting at age 15 drivers are required to pass a driver education course, written tests, and log hours behind the wheel with a supervising driver. It’s not until age 18 that most teen drivers earn the right to drive whenever they want with whomever they want.
Parents of driving-aged teens should visit the North Carolina Department of Transportation website for complete information about graduated licensing to make sure their teen driver is following the laws that may keep them from experiencing a serious or even fatal accident.
Parents of a teen who was seriously injured or killed an accident that wasn’t his or her fault probably have questions about whether to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver. Our firm created a comprehensive guide to help accident victims and their families learn about the claim process, and we encourage parents to read it or contact us to discuss your unique circumstances.
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