What You Should Know About Accidents Involving Teenage Drivers in Illinois

 Posted on August 07, 2019 in Driving Safety

A leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. is motor vehicle accidents. According to most recent available statistics, six teens between the ages of 16 and 19 die every day from motor vehicle-related injuries. Teens in the same age group are nearly three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than are drivers aged 20 years and older. Many of these crashes are entirely preventable, if parents and teenage drivers heed advice given by experts who have studied this issue.

Illinois State Laws on Teenage Driving

To curb this increasing problem of teen accidents, the state of Illinois, like many others across the country, has put in place restrictions intended to ensure that teen drivers have enough training and supervision to minimize or altogether eliminate serious injury caused by these accidents involving teenage drivers. The law in Illinois requires that a teenage driver must complete a state-approved education course. Additionally, the driver’s parent or guardian must certify that the teen has attended and completed at least 50 hours of driving practice, ten of which must be driving at night.

Restrictions on Teen Drivers

Once the teenager has completed the state mandated driving course, and their parent or guardian has made the required certification, the teenager will then be given an initial driver’s license with the following restrictions placed on the teenage driver:

• They cannot drive between 10pm and 6am Sundays through Thursdays and 11pm through 6am on Fridays and Saturdays;
• If the teenager is under 19 years old, they cannot use cellphones in the car while driving—including with hands-free devices—unless there is an emergency; and
• They cannot be convicted of traffic offenses before the age of 18, otherwise they risk not being given a permanent license.

Parents’ and Guardians’ Role in Teenage Driving

Illinois law incorporates parents and legal guardians in the driver licensing process for teenage drivers by requiring they certify that their child has had the required training. It is assumed that the parent or guardian will be closely supervising and monitoring to make sure their child is not just “winging” the driver training course. Given that new drivers are more likely to be involved in a serious accident due to inexperience, it behooves any parent or guardian to make sure they give their child plenty of practice while riding with them and correcting their mistakes.

 A Lake County Injury Lawyer Can Help

If you or a member of your family has been injured in an accident involving a teenage driver, contact Waukegan personal injury attorney  to explore your available options. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your personal injury case by calling 847-662-3303 to set up an appointment at one of our convenient offices in Libertyville, Wheaton, Waukegan, Chicago, and Richmond. At Salvi & Maher, L.L.C., we collect our fees only when you collect compensation.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K6-107

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html