Susceptibility to peer pressure and vulnerability to distractions make teenagers some of the most dangerous drivers on the road. They are also the most at risk. Every year, dozens of teenagers die because of unsafe driving practices in Tennessee. Sometimes, they are at fault. Other times, they are passengers. There are also instances where lack of experience makes it difficult for them to safely maneuver out of dangerous situations caused by other drivers on the road.

Tennessee’s state website reports that motor crashes form the number one killer of children who fall between the ages of 1 to 14 years old. It is also the second most common reason that these children are hospitalized or seek emergency care. When it comes to teens between the ages of 15 to 19 years old, car crashes claim 68 lives in Tennessee each year.

One of the reasons teens often do not survive car crashes is a refusal to wear seatbelts. A campaign called Battle of the Belt hopes to combat this. Schools compete against each other for the highest compliance rates with seatbelt use laws. The school with the best educational campaign and the highest seatbelt percentage use gets a trophy at the end of the year.

Perhaps, some bittersweet news is that Tennessee does not rank among the worst states for teen drivers, though it does not stand with the best either. Believe it or not, WalletHub reports that the safest state for teen drivers is New York; the worst is Wyoming. Tennessee ranks at 34 out of the 50 American states. Researchers used several factors to calculate safety for teen drivers. These include teen driver fatalities, quality of roads, driving schools per capita and teen DUIs.

Knoxville is teeming with people at all hours. Whether you do most of your road travel during the daytime or overnight, you can bet you will not feel alone out on the roadways. 

Unfortunately, car accidents happen daily on the roads as well, especially in areas where the traffic clogs. If you have never experienced an accident firsthand, you may not know what to expect in the moment or the aftermath. Understanding what to expect after a crash can help you keep your senses about you when facing a scary and possibly traumatic experience. 

Managing the accident scene 

As soon as you are able after a crash, make sure that everyone else is safe. You may find yourself in a bad spot in the roadway where it is hazardous to remain. Before you move the vehicles out of the way, snap a few pictures of the scene. These photos may become an integral part of the accident investigation, especially if the driver at fault does not take responsibility. After moving the vehicles to safety, make sure you get copies of the other driver’s insurance information and license. 

Calling your insurance company 

Soon after you leave the scene, you ought to call your insurance company to report the accident. While this is a crucial step, it is important to know more about the process before you jump right to the phone. 

Your insurance company is your advocate, and if the collision is due to the other driver, your insurer will do what it can to collect. However, part of the claims process is speaking on a recorded line to both your insurance company and the other driver’s. If you have any doubts about what transpired, you may want to speak with an attorney before making that statement. You may report the accident to your insurer but defer the recorded statement until you find a representative to help. 

The damages suffered by you and your property may add up quickly. Going through the insurance claims process with an ally can help. 

Across Tennessee, there has been a push to lessen distracted driving. People are trying to combat these risks with hands-free technology. But just how much does this technology actually do to improve safety?

The National Safety Council itself has stated that hands-free is not risk-free. This campaign slogan implies that hands-free technology does improve driver safety. In fact, there has not been a significant reduction in distracted driving incidents. This is in spite of claims that hands-free technology makes driving much safer.

Hands-free technology is risky because it is still a form of distracted driving. To drive safely, you must have your eyes and mind on the road and your hands on the wheel. Hands-free driving only addresses one of these concerns. Even with your hands on the wheel, your eyes may be on the screen. Even if your eyes are on the road, your mind may be on the conversation.

Other studies showed that conversation reduces a driver’s field of vision. Sometimes, the reduction can be drastic. When engaged in conversation, drivers reportedly missed up to 50 percent of what they drove by. This is like driving with half of your windshield or rear-view mirror covered. Needless to say, this is not the safest way to be driving.

The best way to avoid distracted driving crashes is to limit in-vehicle distractions. This includes keeping devices out of the vehicle or turning them off when driving. Unfortunately, hands-free devices are not a cure for the distracted driving epidemic. While they may help in some instances, you should not rely on them.