Accidents With Teen Drivers
Every teenager looks forward to the day they can have the independence of driving. Teenagers as young as fifteen can begin learning how to drive. Once the learning requirements are met, and the child reaches sixteen years old, they can test for an initial license. This license has restrictions like the number of passengers, and more strict mobile device usage while being the wheel. With up to thirty percent of motor vehicle accident costs are attested to teenagers and young adults, there is a chance you may get into an accident with someone driving as young as sixteen years old.
Getting A Driver's License
Anyone who operates a vehicle legally had to work to get a driver’s license. After obtaining a learner’s permit, the teenager must practice driving with a licensed adult for fifty hours. Ten of those hours must be done at night. Once the minimum of driving hours has been reached, and the permit has been active for at least nine months, a sixteen-year-old may receive an initial drivers license. A full license can be applied for between the ages of eighteen and twenty.
When a teen driver gets into a car accident, they are usually covered by their parent’s car insurance. In Illinois, the minimum liability insurance coverage for car accidents is $25,000 for bodily injuries per person, $50,000 total for bodily injuries per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. When adding a teen driver, some parents may increase their insurance above the minimum.
According to the Centers For Disease Control And Protection, six teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 die every day as the result of motor vehicle accidents. Teen drivers are more likely to get into accidents than adult drivers because of a lack of experience behind the wheel. Other common causes on top of that are:
- Being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol,
- Distracted driving, and
- Speeding.
After getting into a car accident with a teenage driver, the parents of the teenager are not usually held liable for their teenager under Illinois law. An exception may be if the teenager was doing a family chore, like going to the grocery store.
Contact An Aurora, Illinois Car Accident Attorney
Although a teenager’s parents may not be liable for a car accident, you still deserve a fair insurance payout. In the event of a fatal accident, the parents of the child may try to find you liable for the accident to compensate for their pain and suffering. Contact an experienced Kane County Car Accident Attorney to answer your post-auto accident questions and concerns. Call 630-907-0909 to schedule a free consultation.
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html
Illinois GDL Parent Teen Driving Guide - CyberDriveIllinoishttps://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a217.pdf
