How often have you driven down the road and witnessed another driver take the shoulder to avoid the rush of brakes lights in front of him? How often have you seen another driver slam on the brakes to avoid a rear-end car accident? These types of incidents are called “near miss” accidents. Drivers with any amount of experience have either witnessed other drivers commit near miss car accidents or have committed near miss accidents themselves. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of teen drivers have experienced near miss accidents.
According to a recent study that questioned the driving experience of almost 2,300 teen drivers, the majority of teen drivers in the United States have experienced a near miss car accident. Seventy percent reported experiencing at least one near miss accident over the last year, and almost half of the surveyed teen drivers admitted experiencing more than one near miss car accident within the same time period.
As we touched upon during our last post, many teenage near miss accidents are caused by distraction and dangerous driving conditions particularly in the summer months. Though the primary causes of near miss car accidents involving teenagers may be distraction and dangerous driving conditions, teenagers are ready to assess blame elsewhere.
Over one-third of teenagers involved in a near miss accident blamed the near miss accident on another driver while 21 percent said the weather was the primary factor. Only 13 percent of the surveyed teenagers said they were text messaging at the time of the near miss and six percent said they were distracted by a passenger.
While the majority of teens have endured a near miss car accident, a staggering 92 percent of teen drivers consider themselves safe drivers.
Source: Reuters, “Many teen drivers have “near miss” incidents,” 6/16/11
