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Preventing Collisions from Defective Tires

Young people face many dangers behind the wheel. Unfortunately, one of those risks is that teens are not experienced enough to know when there is a problem with their vehicle. Apersonal injury lawyer knows that collisions could be prevented if young people had more of the information that they need to make sure the car they are driving is  ready to hit the road.

TEENS AND TIRES

According to Health News Digest, almost 300,000 car crashes involving inexperienced drivers could be prevented every year if better driver education was available. Many schools are eliminating drivers education due to budget cuts and cost constraints, leaving some kids without an easy or simple way to get the driving skills they need. This is coming at a serious cost, as teen drivers frequently do not acquire the “essential knowledge and skills” that would help to avoid collisions.

One area where teens are not getting sufficient education involves tire safety. Out of 2.2 million motor vehicle collisions that occur on average each year, an estimated 12 percent of accidents involve inexperienced drivers and tire-related problems. That is an average of a collision once every two minutes. The rate of crashes involving tire problems and inexperienced drivers is almost three times higher than the crash rate of tire-related accidents involving drivers with more experience.

Myriad problems could occur with tires, including improper inflation and insufficient tire tread. Yet, only 16 states require that tire safety information be presented as part of driver’s education curriculum. Even fewer states, just seven, include information on tire safety and vehicle maintenance as part of the required driver’s education curriculum.

Without education on the issue of tire safety, a full 27 percent of teenagers never check the condition of their vehicle’s tires. Less than half of teens check their tires each month, which is the recommended frequency for tire checks.

Less than half of teenagers and their parents believe that driver’s education courses adequately prepare teens for the road. These young people are right- they aren’t learning enough and this is why they aren’t checking tires. Around 3/4 of teens responding to a survey said that they had learned about tire maintenance from their parents. Yet, only around 1/3 of parents consider themselves knowledgeable on this subject.

It is especially sad that tire maintenance is the cause of so many teen accidents because preventing a collision due to tire problems is so simple. Teens can quickly and easily check the tread of their tires by putting a penny into the tire upside down. If Lincoln’s head is visible, then the vehicle’s tires are too worn and the tire needs to be replaced. The tire pressure should also be checked with a gauge when the tires are cold in order to ensure that the tires are properly inflated and safe to drive on.

If teens can do these two simple things, and if their parents can teach them how to establish good tire safety practices, many young lives can be saved.

Contact a San Diego, CA personal injury attorney after your motor vehicle accident. Call the Law Offices of Ronald B. Laba today at 866-434-1577 or visit http://www.injurylawofsandiego.com. Also serving Vista, CA and surrounding areas.

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