You have a teenager who is about to turn sixteen, has been practicing all summer for their driving test, and will be getting their license sometime in the next few days—as a responsible parent, you have to ask yourself: is my teen driver capable of avoiding an automobile accident in an urban setting?

As car accident attorneys, we believe that teenage automobile accidents are the number one type of car crash that happen in this country, often times causing personal injuries like spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, traffic whiplash, and physical disabilities, all of which come with a stack of medical bills.  Because of their inexperience, teen drivers tend to not know what to do during a car crash and teenage automobile accidents can frequently turn into fatal auto accidents.

Many times, teenage automobile accidents occur in urban areas because teens are not familiar with special circumstances to urban roads and over-estimate their driving abilities.

According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), just about fifty percent of all car crashes in urban areas happen at intersections, usually in the afternoon or early evening.  Besides being careful at intersections, here are a few tips parents can pass on to their teen drivers when it comes to going through urban areas:

1.  Keep up with the flow of traffic, but do not follow too closely

2.  Be aware of parked cars on the street—you never know when one might pull into traffic

3.  Adjust speed, as most urban areas keep the speed limit at 45 mph or below

4.  Be on the lookout for one-way streets

5.  Take special care around crosswalks, buses, and restricted lanes

Being car accident attorneys, we believe that teen drivers can often be a little too confidant and foolhardy while on the road, but it is a parent’s job to emphasize the importance of driving safely to avoid teenage automobile accidents, either in suburbia or urban areas.

Please feel free to call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced automobile accident attorney.  We have a large bilingual staff that can assist you in either English or Spanish.