If you have to share the road with a lot of college students, you may be somewhat nervous. These are all still very young drivers, and you’re worried that they may cause an accident. You have to drive along your daily commute every day, after all, so you can’t simply avoid these risks.
And you’re right to be concerned. Statistics show that young drivers do cause a disproportionate number of fatal accidents. But there is also good news, in that college students are getting to be much safer drivers.
What the numbers say
First of all, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point out that teen drivers are the age group with the highest fatal crash rate. This includes those who are from 16 to 19 years old. Since many college students are 18 or 19, half of this age group could be enrolled in the local college. The others are probably local high school kids, and they are an even greater risk.
That’s because drivers who are at least 20 years old have a fatal crash rate three times less than teenagers. It’s still higher than some older drivers, but it shows that these individuals are getting dramatically better at driving their vehicles.
Teens often suffer from inexperience, but those who reach their 20s simply have enough years on the road that they’re not going to make some of those same mistakes. So college students are getting better, even though they do increase your risks as opposed to driving around other adults.
If you lose a loved one in a fatal accident or suffer serious injuries yourself, then you absolutely need to know about all of your legal options.
