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It’s common knowledge that teenage drivers are at a much higher risk of getting into an accident than the general population. And while there are ways that parents can mitigate the risk, these accidents are still fairly common. Between 2019 and 2023, there were well over 600,000 wrecks that involved a driver between the ages of 15 and 24.
If you’re a parent of a teenager, you should understand not only the dangers of teen driving but the legal consequences of an accident. The Warner Robins and Macon law firm of Joshua E. Palmer LLC explains what you need to know.
Graduated Driver Licensing
Georgia, like all other states, has a tiered or graduated driving program for teenagers. These drivers do not become fully licensed as soon as they pass the initial driver education course, but must progress through three levels:
- Instructional permit: A driver who is at least 15 years old is allowed to obtain this permit after they pass a written driving exam. With the permit, the teen can only drive while there is a licensed passenger in the vehicle who is at least 21 years of age.
- Intermediate license: The next stage is an intermediate Class D license for drivers between the ages of 16 and 18, provided the driver has had an instructional permit for at least 12 months. Intermediate licensed drivers must also pass a driving test and they cannot drive between midnight and 6 a.m.
- Full license: Finally, a driver who is at least 18 years old with a Class D license will receive a full (Class C) license as long as they have had no major traffic convictions in the previous year. The restrictions in the previous two stages no longer apply at this point.
Liability in Teen Driving Accident Cases
If you have a teenaged driver in Warner Robins or Macon, it’s important to understand that the law treats them differently in the event of an accident. For adult drivers who cause wrecks, the law usually points a finger at the driver (absent other parties who could be to blame). But if a teenaged driver gets into a crash, liability could fall on:
- The teen driver: If the teen is negligent or reckless, they could be held liable. It is also likely they will be liable if they drive outside of their permissions. But because teens rarely have the assets to cover the victims’ injuries, parents are usually brought in.
- The parents: Georgia’s Family Purpose Doctrine allows parents to be held liable for the negligent driving actions of their teenagers. This means that if the parents allow their children to drive, and the teenager causes a crash, liability points back to the parents as well.
- The vehicle’s owner: Since the owner of the vehicle is typically the parents, the Family Purpose Doctrine also applies here.
How a Victim Can Prove Negligence
If your teen driver gets into an accident in Warner Robins or Macon, the victim will have the burden of proving four basic elements:
- Duty of care: This means the driver owes a duty to everyone else on the road to obey traffic laws and safely operate the motor vehicle.
- Breach: A breach of the duty of care is a negligent act or omission, such as driving impaired or speeding.
- Causation: Next, the victim must show that the breach directly caused the accident.
- Damages: Finally, the victim will have the burden of proving their losses, such as medical bills and lost income.
You do not want to be in the situation of having to defend your teenager against claims of negligent or reckless driving. So we offer some tips for preventing accidents.
How To Keep Your Teen Out of a Wreck
The last thing that any parent wants is for their child to be involved in an accident – not just for the sake of the child, but for the sake of the victim as well. Parents in Warner Robins and Macon can take a few basic steps to reduce the chances of this happening:
- Enforce the graduated driving program: Make sure that your teenager is obeying the restrictions imposed upon them for their permit or license. If they cannot drive after midnight, for instance, then you should enforce this.
- Warn them of common dangers: Distracted driving is a major contributor to teen accidents, along with drunk driving and disruptive passengers. Let your teen know the serious dangers of major bodily injury and death arising from these and other risks.
- Limit the number of passengers: Since passengers can distract your teen driver, you should impose strict limits on how many passengers can ride along. Remember, too, that if your teen does get into an accident these passengers will probably be injured, too.
- Be a good role model: Be sure that any time you drive, you are modeling safe driving behavior (even if your teenager isn’t present). Avoid common distractions, obey traffic laws, and always use caution in heavy traffic and bad weather situations.
- Consider a reward system: You should consider creating some sort of reward program for safe driving behavior. Insurance companies do this with their safest drivers, which is a great reason to do something similar with your teenager.
Was Your Teen Hurt in an Accident? Count on Us
Of course, no matter how safe your teenager is, there’s always the chance that some other driver will negligently cause an accident that hurts them. That’s where Joshua E. Palmer LLC. If your teenager is injured in Warner Robins or Macon, contact us to ask about seeking compensation for their injuries.
