Teen Drivers: How To Encourage Smart Behavior On The Road
Teen drivers are among the most at-risk on the road. As a parent, you’re hoping that educating your teens on safe driving behavior will help protect them from harm.
What should you say to the teen drivers in your life to prevent accidents, injuries and fatalities?
The Statistics Are Striking
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,163 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2013. Based on this data, six teenagers die every day in car accidents in the United States, on average.
Injuries are a major concern as well; 243,243 teens were treated at hospital emergency rooms for injuries from car accidents in 2013. Drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 only make up 14 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for 30 percent of all male car crash injuries and 28 percent of all female car crash injuries.
Prevention Strategies to Teach Your Teen
Certain risk factors put teen drivers at a higher risk than the rest of the population.
Drinking and driving: You are aware of the extreme dangers of drinking and driving, but are your teens? Reiterate that zero alcohol is acceptable to consume before they get behind the wheel. Twenty-five percent of male drivers age 20 and under who were involved in a car accident in 2013 were drinking.
Seat belt use: Over half — 56 percent — of teens between the ages of 13 and 20 who died in a car accident in 2013 were not wearing seat belts when the accident occurred. Seat belts are vital — no teens should drive unless they commit to buckling up every time.
Phone use: Texting while driving — even texting while at a stoplight — can be extremely detrimental to your teen’s focus. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, texting takes drivers’ attention off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, enough time to drive 100 yards.
What Can Adults Do?
You can’t always control what your children do, but you can help them stay safe by giving them rules and guidelines. For example, make sure your teen is comfortable driving friends, and ensure all passengers are aware of your rules regarding seat belts, drinking and distracted driving. Consider limiting how many friends can be in the car at once — three teen passengers increases the risk of an accident by 307 percent.
You can put a curfew in place to make sure your teen arrives home before the late evening and early morning hours, when most car accidents happen. Many experts suggest a 10 p.m. curfew for teen drivers.
Make sure your teen knows what to do if he or she breaks down and needs roadside assistance. Store contact information for Stauffer’s Towing in the cell phone of your teen drivers so they have a trusted tow service they can call for help at any time of day or night.