Although children are often eager to learn how to drive, they typically do not have the emotional maturity to handle such a safety-critical task. Despite clear rules limiting driving privileges to older teens, younger teens sometimes drive, often with tragic results.<\/p>\n
A fatal crash in Texas caused by a 13-year-old in March 2022 drew national attention to the issue of young teens driving illegally. The crash in this situation involved a blown tire, an issue a more mature driver could have handled. The young driver could not, and nine people died as a result.<\/p>\n
Are underage drivers really a noteworthy safety concern on the Oklahoma roads?<\/p>\n
Although you might assume that very few underage drivers get behind the wheel, you may feel shocked to hear that statistics show others. In 2020, a year that saw a massive drop in the number of hours driven overall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 1,057 crashes<\/a> that hurt people and another 47 that killed people caused by drivers who were age 13 or younger at the time of the wreck.<\/p>\n