Drivers in Louisiana, whether young or old, should make sure that they are prioritizing safety by owning the safest possible vehicle that their income can purchase for them. The reason is that according to a recent study, the two age groups with the highest risk for a car crash are the ones most likely to own an older, unsafe vehicle. Those two groups are newly licensed teens and drivers aged 65 and older.
Some background on the study
Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, which is part of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, conducted the study, and its results were published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. The study used crash data spanning the years 2010 and 2017 and focusing on the state of New Jersey.
Looking at the vehicles that were involved in these crashes, researchers determined each one’s age, its engine power and other characteristics. Most important was whether the vehicle had safety features like electronic stability control and side and curtain airbags.
The danger of older vehicles
Older vehicles naturally lacked these two features. ESC is critical because it keeps a vehicle under control while drivers are navigating sharp curves and slippery roads. Researchers understand that finances can limit people’s options when buying a vehicle, but they maintain that many safe vehicles can be had for under $7,000.
Filing a wrongful death lawsuit
If one of your family members died in a crash, you may be eligible for compensation. To form the basis for wrongful death lawsuits, fatal motor vehicle accidents must clearly be the result of the other driver’s negligence or recklessness, so you may want a lawyer to evaluate the case before moving forward.