First Driving Lesson Lands Car In Neighbor’s House

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The first time you get behind the wheel of a car for a driving lesson is one of the most exciting times in a teenager’s life. Once they pass the test they will finally have the some freedom to get out without their parents around. But as a Seattle auto accident attorney I see the consequences that come from a teen not realizing the responsibility that comes with driving. Teenagers are far more likely to become distracted when driving and make simple mistakes that can lead to minor and sometimes even fatal auto accidents.

A teenage boy in Orting was starting his first driving lesson with his father last night when he made a mistake that put the lives of many in danger. After going over basic steps like adjusting your mirrors and turning the car on, his dad told him to put the car in reverse and put his foot on the brake so they could slowly back out of the driveway. But the father must not have spent enough time going over where the gas and brake pedals were because the boy pressed all the way down on the gas and sped down the driveway into the cul-de-sac where 5 small children were riding around in battery-powered toy cars. The teenager hit the children and continued backing up into a neighbor’s house, breaking their gas line and water main before crashing through a wall into their house and finally stopping. Many of the children sustained minor injuries from the car accident but two had to be transported to a local hospital where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries. The tee nage driver and his father were not injured in the car accident, and Orting police have yet to issue any type of citation.

When teaching a teen how to drive, parents need to make sure their child has a firm grasp on what they are doing before they even turn the car on. Mistakes are bound to happen, but the potential damage caused by that mistake can be drastically reduced if you spend more time in park before they shift to drive.