Young adult drivers might be just as dangerous as teens

Teen drivers are one of the most common hazards Connecticut drivers are warned about on the summer roads. Thousands of teenagers across the nation typically take their driver’s test during the summer, and whether they pass or fail, their inexperience can pose a major threat to other drivers.

However, they aren’t the only motorists that drivers should look out for. There are also plenty of young adults that can endanger experienced motorists around this time of year as well. Recent studies showcase why their habits can make them just as bad of a threat as teenage drivers.

They are getting their licenses too

In recent years, there has been a dramatic decline in teenagers who don’t get their licenses right away. Many of them are waiting to take the test when they turn 18 or 20 instead. Their reasoning ranges from vehicle expenses to not feeling comfortable being behind the wheel yet.

Even though they are supposedly “older and wiser,” a study from Washington’s Department of Licensing reveals that drivers who are 18 to 21 have more traffic tickets and a higher driving test failure rate than drivers between 15 to 17.

Some of the people involved with the study believe that teens have several advantages over young adults who apply for a driver’s test. Some of these advantages include teens having more time to take driver’s ed classes, more restrictions on the road and a higher likelihood of their parents helping them.

College students also have summer off

Even young adults that already have their licenses aren’t the safest drivers in the summer. Many students who go to college for nine months of the year don’t bring their vehicles with them. When they get back to their home towns to spend their three months off, their driving skills are rusty.

Since they don’t have nearly as many legal and family restrictions as teenagers, they are also more likely to stay out late and drink at bars, resulting in more drunk and drowsy drivers on the road.

Young adults may be a few years older than a teenager, but they are still very inexperienced when it comes to safe driving. It is important to know what legal options you have available to you in case a reckless young motorist crashes into your car.