What Should a Teen Driver Do After Their First Car Accident in Alabama?
Don’t panic, and don’t drive away. Stop the car, stay at the scene, check on anyone who may be hurt, and call 911. Leaving the scene of an accident, even out of fear, can turn a routine fender bender into a criminal matter.
Attorney David Greene covered this and a handful of other back-to-school driving topics in a recent appearance on WKRG News 5’s Judge Knows.
What Should a Teen Driver Do Right After an Accident?
Stop the vehicle first. David said the instinct for a scared teen driver is often to think they’re already in trouble and consider leaving, and that’s the worst move available. Staying at the scene, checking on anyone who was hit, and calling 911 is the only path forward. Once law enforcement is on the way, the rest of the process, giving a statement, exchanging information, waiting for a report, can happen calmly.
Why Does Leaving the Scene Make Things Worse?
Because it can turn a civil matter into a criminal one. David was direct about this: driving away from an accident, even a minor one, can expose a driver to criminal liability separate from anything related to the crash itself. A teen who panics and leaves creates a second, more serious problem on top of the first.
What Should Parents Cover With a Teen Before Handing Over the Keys?
Sit down and walk through the rules of the road together rather than assuming a driver’s ed class covered it all. David talked about slowing down, turning the music down, and putting the phone away, especially in neighborhoods and school zones where kids are walking to bus stops or crossing at crosswalks. He also pointed out something parents may not think about until it happens: what the teen should actually do if they’re ever in a wreck. That conversation is worth having before the first drive alone, not after.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes New Teen Drivers Make?
Cell phones, too many passengers, and distraction from conversations in the back seat came up as the recurring issues David sees. On the passenger question, Alabama law backs this up directly: a 16-year-old, or a 17-year-old who’s held a restricted license less than six months, can’t have more than one passenger in the car who isn’t a parent, guardian, or family member. It’s not just a good habit, it’s a Graduated Driver License restriction with real consequences for violating it. David also pointed to something drivers young and old tend to forget, that a car is a several-thousand-pound machine moving faster than a person can react, which is exactly why speed and attention matter more in a vehicle than almost anywhere else.
How Can Greene & Phillips Help After a Teen Driver Accident?
Sorting out fault, dealing with insurance adjusters, and figuring out what a claim is actually worth is a lot to hand to a new driver or their parents right after a wreck. If your teen has been in an accident, or you have questions about what to do next, call Greene & Phillips Injury Lawyers at 251-478-1115 (Mobile) or 205-918-7800 (Birmingham), no appointment needed. You can also visit our contact page.
