Old, unsafe cars most often driven by teens and older drivers

Louisiana residents who own an older vehicle are probably aware that they run a higher risk for a car crash. Another thing is that if they do crash, their injuries are more likely to be severe. Crash risk is highest among newly licensed drivers and drivers 65 and older, so it can be distressing to hear that these two age groups tend to own older vehicles. This was the conclusion of a recent study.

Details found in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention

Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, a team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, conducted the first large-scale study of this trend. It focused on drivers in New Jersey by analyzing all crashes in that state from 2010 to 2017. Researchers found that many older and younger drivers do not own vehicles with electronic stability control or side or curtain airbags.

Researchers admit income as a factor

It goes without saying that many people drive older cars because of budgetary limitations. Lower-income drivers of all ages tend to drive cars without electronic stability control and side airbags. Among teens in lower-income neighborhoods, the age of their vehicle can be twice that of the vehicles that higher-income teens drive. Yet researchers point out that many cars with these critical safety features are available for relatively reasonable prices.

Lawyer for car accident victims

You should not have to pay for the injuries and property damage you incurred in a crash caused by another’s negligence. Pursuing a personal injury case to seek compensation for those losses can be hard to do alone. With a lawyer, you may learn more about the process. You may even leave the settlement negotiations to the lawyer so that you can focus more on recovering both physically and emotionally.