This week starts the beginning of National Teen Driver Safety Week, with a goal of raising awareness about driver safety and reducing the number of car accidents. Teen Driver Safety Week was enacted by Congress and takes place the third week of October each year. In 2012, this covers October 14th through the 20th.

The reasons behind the observance of an awareness campaign specifically aimed at teens are several. The car accident rate for teen drivers is higher than any other age groups. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers across the United States and California. In California, nearly 600 people died in 2008 (the most recent year's statistics) as the result of teen driver car accidents.

Although car crash can occur for any number of reasons, a number of factors increase the likelihood of a driver aged 16-19 getting into an automobile accident. Some of these are behavioral - teens may be overconfident in their driving skills and more likely to engage in risk driving behavior such as running red lights, disregarding traffic signs and signals, making illegal turns, passing without sufficient room and failing to yield to pedestrians.

However, one of the top reasons behind teen car crashes is distracted driving. In fact - driver distraction, along with alcohol and speeding - are the leading factors in all fatal and serious injury car crashes. Using cell phones is the number one distraction, with teens four times more likely to get in an injury accident if they are using their cell phone - either to text or to carry on a conversation. Nearly 16% of fatal crashes involving drivers younger than 20 were the result of distracted driving.

Other factors contributing to the incidence of California teen driver accidents is the fact that many young drivers tend to underestimate their risk of getting into an accident while overestimating their ability to deal with the dangers they encounter. Also due to their relatively new driving skills, teen drivers may be slow to recognize hazards on the road.

If you have been injured in a teen car accident it is important to seek the advice of a top Roseville personal injury attorney right away. In many situations you may be able to obtain compensation for your injuries. Additionally, it's important to remember that if your teen was a passenger of a driver who caused an accident, he or she may still be able to recover, even if he or she is found partly to blame. In teen driving situations, often groups encourage each other to drive fast, violate safety rules or even drink and drive. When an accident occurs - even though each party may be partially to blame - based on California's comparative negligence laws, an individual may still be able to recover for his or her injuries. The amount of damages recovered will be reduced by an individual's percentage of fault.

As a Roseville car accident attorney with years of experience representing victims of teen driving accidents, I am hopeful that through raising awareness California roadways will become safer for all motorists. For more information or if you have been injured in a California car accident, contact the top Roseville car accident lawyer and personal injury lawyer at Sette Law Office for an immediate consultation.