Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage for many teenagers in Missouri. However, newly licensed teenagers pose a considerable risk to themselves and other drivers. Statistics show that teen drivers are more likely to get distracted, to drive over the speed limit, and to make mistakes — and all of these actions increase the risk of getting in an accident.
Here’s what you need to know about teen driver accidents in Missouri, including tips on parents can do to reduce their child’s chances of causing a crash.
High Rate of Accidents Involving Teen Drivers in Missouri
It’s no secret that teen drivers are more likely to be involved in serious car accidents. Teen driver accidents in Missouri lead to many unnecessary deaths each year. Consider these 2023 statistics on teens and fatal collisions in Missouri:
- 47% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were either speeding or driving too fast for road conditions
- 133 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers
- 77% of vehicle occupants who died in car crashes were not wearing seat belts
- Had everyone worn seat belts, an estimated 21 teen lives could have been saved
In 2022, car crashes were the top cause of death for teens ages 16 to 19 nationwide. The rate of fatal crashes for drivers in this age range was almost triple that of drivers aged 20 and up.
Driving as a teenager is dangerous everywhere, but recent research suggests Missouri teens may be at especially high risk. A 2024 WalletHub study ranked Missouri as the second-worst state for teen drivers. The results were based on three categories:
- Safety: Metrics like fatalities, crashes due to risky behaviors, and road quality
- Economic Environment: Metrics like the cost of speeding tickets, insurance premium increases, and the cost of car repairs
- Driving Laws: Metrics like DUI laws, occupant protection laws, and graduated driver licensing programs for teens
Unfortunately, there’s no single factor making Missouri more dangerous for teen drivers. If there were, the problem would be much easier to fix. However, it has many different facets. Parents who fully understand them might help keep younger drivers safer on the road.
For immediate legal assistance from an experienced Missouri car accident lawyer, contact our law firm today. We can help you understand your legal options after an accident or injury involving a teen driver.
Why Are There So Many Teen Driver Accidents in Missouri?
Some of the factors contributing to teen driver accidents in Missouri are unavoidable. For instance, inexperience increases the likelihood of a crash, but the only way teen drivers can gain more experience is by driving more.
Fortunately, many of the risk factors that lead to teen-involved accidents — like drinking, speeding, and texting while driving — are entirely preventable.
Driving at Night Is Especially Hazardous for Teens
Reduced visibility makes driving at night more hazardous for everyone. However, inexperienced teen drivers are at even greater risk. While driver education programs require teenagers to gain some experience driving at night, they need far less nighttime driving experience than daytime experience.
Teens Often Drive With Friends in the Car
Teenagers are often easily distracted, and a carload of friends can take a teen’s attention away from the task of driving. Missouri’s distracted driving laws are in place to help deter these types of accidents.
Many Teens Text While Driving
Many drivers — not just teenagers — make the dangerous mistake of taking their eyes off the road for a second or two. However, even checking a text message can lead to an accident. On average, it takes almost five seconds to read a text. If a car is going 55 miles per hour, it can travel the length of a football field during that time.
Because teenagers tend to text frequently and can be more easily distracted than other age groups, texting is an unfortunately common cause of teen driver accidents in Missouri.
Teens Often Don’t Wear Seatbelts
Drivers of all ages disregard laws requiring seat belts. However, teenagers are more likely to do so. Passengers and drivers who aren’t wearing seat belts at the time of a crash are more likely to be ejected from a vehicle. Even if they stay within the car, they can be thrown within the vehicle with enough force to cause serious or even fatal injuries.
Teens Are More Likely to Speed
As a whole, teenagers speed more frequently than older drivers. They also tend to leave less following distance between their vehicles and others. Both of these situations can cause or worsen teen driver accidents in Missouri:
- Speeding increases the force of a collision, leading to severe injuries
- Both speeding and following too closely reduce the amount of time a driver has to react to issues
These two risky behaviors often appear together, but even independently, they can be extremely dangerous.
Teens May Be Likely to Drink and Drive
As teenagers gain more independence, many experiment with alcohol and other drugs. Drinking and driving is never a safe combination, but for teens who are still learning and building confidence behind the wheel, it can be especially dangerous.
About 74% of teenagers drink alcohol, and many of them make the mistake of driving while intoxicated.
When Are These Accidents Most Likely to Happen?
One teenage driver increases the danger for everyone else. However, when teenagers make up a higher percentage of drivers, that danger is amplified. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety calls the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day the 100 Deadliest Days because there are more teen driver fatalities than any other time of year.
This sharp increase in teen driver accidents in Missouri (and elsewhere) can be attributed to the freedom that high school students enjoy during the summer break. Their time behind the wheel is largely unstructured.
Along with the 100 Deadliest Days, there are a few other times throughout the year when teen driver accidents in Missouri tend to spike.
Homecoming and Prom
Homecoming, prom, and other dances are important events for high school students, but these celebrations may increase the number of car crashes. Many parents allow their teenagers to drive to and from school events themselves. That can be dangerous for a few reasons:
- Teens may drive on unfamiliar roads on the way to their date’s house and a restaurant before the dance
- Visibility may be limited while driving back at night
- Some teens may drink at the dance and still drive home after
This doesn’t necessarily mean parents should prohibit their teenagers from driving to prom or homecoming. However, it can be helpful to ride in the car while a high schooler practices the route at the same time of day (and night) they’ll be going to the dance and back.
Graduation
Graduation is another pivotal event, and after the graduation ceremony, teenagers may attend parties at friends’ houses. Driving with friends in the car can be distracting, and alcohol use can compound the risk, dramatically increasing the likelihood of teen driver accidents in Missouri.
Are There Laws for Teenage Drivers in Missouri?
Laws can’t completely eliminate the risks facing teen drivers. However, Missouri’s graduated driver licensing system slowly eases teens into driving.
This approach reduces the risk of teen driver accidents in Missouri. Here’s how it works.
Step 1: Complete Instruction Permit Requirements
Once a teenager has reached 15 years of age and has passed a vision, road sign, and written test, they can receive their instruction permit. The permit requires the teen to be accompanied by a “qualified person” at all times while driving.
For drivers under 16, the qualified person must be at least 25 and have been licensed for at least three years. If the teen is accompanied by someone other than a parent or guardian, the qualified person must have the permission of the parents.
Once the driver has reached the age of 16, the requirements for what constitutes a qualified person loosen; the teen must be accompanied by someone who has a valid driver’s license and is at least 21.
Before moving on to the next phase of the licensing process, instruction permit holders must fulfill the following requirements:
- Have received at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction (at least 10 hours at night)
- Have held the permit for at least 182 days
- Have had no alcohol-related conviction in the past 12 months
- Have had no traffic convictions within the past six months
Once a teen has completed these steps, they may move on to the intermediate licensing stage.
Step 2: Intermediate License
After completing the steps above, a teen must meet the following requirements to get an intermediate license:
- Pass the vision, written, and road sign tests again if previous results are over a year old
- Pass a driving test administered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol
The intermediate license comes with some restrictions to protect the safety of teens (and others) on the road:
- In the first six months, only one person under age 19 (excluding immediate family) may ride in the car with the teen driver
- After those six months, no more than three nonfamily members under 19 may ride in the car
- Between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., teens must be accompanied by a driver who is at least 21 (with some exceptions)
After fulfilling these requirements, teen drivers may be able to secure an under 21 full license.
Step 3: Under 21 Full License
Once a teenage driver has reached the age of 18 and completed the requirements for an instruction permit and intermediate license, they are ready for a full license. However, they must meet these eligibility requirements:
- Have a valid intermediate license (not suspended or revoked)
- Have had no alcohol or traffic offenses in the past 12 months
- Pass the vision and road sign tests again
In Missouri and other states, licenses issued to residents under 21 are vertical instead of horizontal. This visual difference reduces underage drinking and teen driver accidents in Missouri by alerting servers, bartenders, and retail clerks when a customer cannot buy alcohol.
Initiatives in Missouri to Help Prevent Teen Driver Accidents
Government officials have taken meaningful steps to prevent teen driver accidents in Missouri. One is TRACTION, a program that teaches teens how to help their peers establish safe driving habits. Students attend a training conference with adult advisors and then return to their schools to implement safe driving initiatives.
Another initiative has to do with how Missouri issues licenses to teenagers. With the graduated driver license system, teens don’t simply pass a test and gain full driving privileges. Instead, they must drive safely for several years before being granted an unrestricted license.
The process is an effective way to keep teen drivers (and everyone else) safer on the road. Because they’re supervised in the early phases, teens can benefit from an experienced driver correcting bad habits early.
Additionally, restrictions on passengers and driving times help new drivers avoid high-risk situations until they’ve gained more experience behind the wheel — and that, in turn, reduces the likelihood of teen driver accidents in Missouri.
If a Teen Driver Causes an Accident in Missouri, Can Their Parents Be Held Liable?
Parents should be concerned with the safety of their teen drivers, but there’s another reason to be cautious: In some cases, parents may be held partially or fully liable for injuries or damage their teens cause in an accident. This rule applies if the following are true:
- The teen is under 18
- The teen is not an emancipated minor
- The parents are not foster parents
Parents aren’t automatically liable for everything their child does. However, if they should have known their child could endanger others, they can be held responsible. RSMo Section 537.045 outlines this responsibility.
When the Teen Causes Property Damage
If a teen damages someone else’s property (like in a car accident), the parents may be ordered to pay up to $2,000 to the affected person. Notably, the person whose property was damaged may still file a civil lawsuit if they have damages exceeding $2,000.
When the Teen Causes Personal Injury
Similarly, if a teen causes injury to someone else, the parents may be liable for up to $2,000 in damages. The injured person may still file a lawsuit.
There is an alternative option for payment. As long as all parties agree, the minor and the parent or guardian may work for the affected person in lieu of paying the $2,000.
What Can Parents Do to Help Keep Their Teen Driver Safe?
While teen drivers themselves should be committed to safe driving, there are several steps parents can take as well.
Give Your Teen Plenty of Driving Practice
In Missouri, parents are responsible for ensuring their teens receive at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction. At least 10 of those hours must be after dark.
To better prepare their children for driving independently, parents should ensure their teens get experience driving in many environments and conditions. A new driver should practice on highways, back roads, and city streets and gain experience driving during sunny, rainy, and snowy conditions, if possible.
Restrict Passengers in the Car
Any driver can be distracted by rowdy passengers. However, it’s especially important for teens who are new to driving to focus on the road. Fewer passengers in the car translates to fewer distractions — and a safer experience for everyone on the road.
Create a Safety Contract
Talking to your teen about the potential dangers of driving is important. To ensure your teen fully understands their new privileges, you might consider creating a teen driver agreement that includes the following:
- A promise to never drive after drinking or ride in a vehicle where the driver has been drinking
- A promise to obey all traffic laws
- A promise to never text while driving
- A promise to check in with a parent before driving anywhere
- A breakdown of who will be responsible for insurance, fuel, car payments, and other costs
- A clear outline of the consequences if your teen violates any provision
You can create your own agreement if you wish, but the state of Missouri also offers parents a free contract template to use.
Hold Off on Buying Your Teen Their Own Car
There’s some evidence to suggest that teens are more likely to speed and to get into car accidents if they drive their own cars as opposed to driving a family vehicle.
If you intend to buy a car for your teen at some point, you might consider using that as an incentive. After your teenager proves they can drive safely over several months or a year or two, they can look forward to having a car of their own.
Knowledgeable Auto Accident Attorneys in Missouri
No matter how much effort parents, the state legislature, and even teens themselves put into reducing car crashes, teen driver accidents in Missouri still happen.
If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a teen driver, you may be trying to figure out how to pay medical bills — and trying to determine whether you can hold the teenager, their parents, or both parties accountable.
At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we’re committed to helping people injured in car accidents recover the compensation they deserve. Because we exclusively focus on auto accidents, we have a deeper familiarity with Missouri car accident law than many attorneys who practice general personal injury law.
Our team is friendly, down-to-earth, and ready to help you and your family. Get in touch today for a free consultation!
