Hazards of night driving, especially for teens

Drivers, even the most experienced ones, can have a hard time navigating the roads in New Jersey when night has fallen. Night reduces visibility and can cause confusion as everything looks different when lit by street lights and headlights. Even when they are being safe, drivers may be harmed by others who disregard the difficulties of night driving.

Night driving is especially hazardous for teen drivers. For every mile driven, 16- and 17-year-old drivers are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash at night than during the day. It doesn’t have to be late at night, either, for the dangers to present themselves.

After analyzing 2016 crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the National Safety Council concluded that 19% of fatal accidents involving a driver aged 15 to 17 took place between 6 pm and 9 pm. Of all the fatal crashes with teen drivers (aged 15 to 19), nearly 18% occurred between 9 pm and midnight. During this six-hour period, teens are often returning from school activities, events, and work and feeling the onset of fatigue.

Obviously, the solution is not to prevent teens from driving at night. It’s a skill that must be learned, though perhaps with parental supervision at first. Gradually, teens can be allowed to drive more and more alone.

If precautions like this are not taken, teens may soon find themselves in motor vehicle accidents, and they themselves may be at fault. In most crashes in this state, the parties file a claim with their own insurance company, but there are times when victims can file a third-party insurance claim. To see how their case would hold up, victims may speak with a lawyer. If hired, the lawyer may assist with the filing process and the negotiations.