By: Tina
As my son’s 16th birthday rapidly approaches, I must admit that the thought of him obtaining his driver’s license concerns me. I am not so much concerned with his driving ability, I am more concerned with how easily teenagers can be distracted while driving a car and the fatalities that are directly related to those distractions. I did some research on the statistics relating to motor vehicle crashes involving teens and I felt it was important to share this information with teenagers as well as parents.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for US teens. In 2009, approximately 3,000 teenagers, ages 15-19, were killed in the US and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency rooms for injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents. With these alarming numbers, I decided to share some tips on how teenagers can be safe drivers:
- Take part in a Comprehensive Graduated Drivers Licensing Program. You can learn more information on this program by visiting http://driversed.com/dmv/Pennsylvania-Graduated-Drivers-License-GDL.aspx, or take a moment to view the attached video from Allstate Insurance.
- Be aware of dangerous or hazardous situations.
- Allow appropriate stopping distance.
- Do not allow passengers to influence the speed in which you drive.
- Get in the habit of wearing a seat belt. When properly used, seat belts reduce the number of serious traffic injuries by 50 percent and fatalities by 60-70 percent.
- Do not drink and drive. Become a designated driver and protect yourself and your friends.
- Do not talk on the phone or text while driving. If you absolutely must make a phone call or send a text, pull off of the road to a safe area.
- Talk to your teen about vehicle accidents.
- Go over the basics of safe driving with your teen. Make them repeat the basics over and over until they can recite it in their sleep. The more it is repeated, the quicker they will remember and respond if needed.
- Remind your teen of your driving standards and expectations and stick to them.
- Encourage your teen to call home upon arriving at their destination as well as before departing.
- Make sure your teenager is aware of the driving restrictions imposed upon teen drivers. You can find more information on this topic by visiting: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/young_drivers/young_driver_faq.shtml#Q16.
I hope this information will be helpful to teens as well as parents as you face the task of learning to drive and learning to be a safe and responsible young adult.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[Cited: October 18, 2010] Retrieved: February 6, 2011.
2. Graduated Driver Licensing Laws Video.
[Published: June 18, 2008] Retrieved: February 16, 2011.
3. James Madison University.
[Cited: October 21, 2004] Retrieved: February 4, 2011.
I teach high school and the scariest thing I see is the kids thinking a car is a toy in the parking lot. They seem the think its ok to jump on one or to use theirs to play with each other.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment. That is a scary thought for kids to use a car as a play toy. It would be interesting to video that and show the parents. As a parent myself, I would probably ground my son from driving until he could prove to me that he is more responsible.
ReplyDeleteTina
Thanks, Tina!! Great advice...with having 3 daugthers of my own, it is always a worry when they are behind the wheel. I will be checking back for more suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThis is good information, although my children are still a newborn and toddler, I will one day be experiencing this and I know my parents felt the same way when I started driving. Thanks for sharing and good advice.
ReplyDeleteAlison
Tina, this post was excellent. You give great advice for teen drivers and for parents. The video is a great example of using supplemental content to really illustrate the point you're making. The video was so powerful, and it reminded me of the stories we heard when we were in high school. Each year, it seemed that at least one teen from our school or from a neighboring school was killed in a car accident. These are tragedies that can be avoided in so many cases. Great job shedding light on this issue here.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, Very good info but I'd just like to add one thing that I didn't see and that is restricting passengers your teen is allowed in the car.I think that there is something going on in PA law that will do this, as a lot of other states already have. We always had a one friend rule when our kids were teen drivers.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteI like that you have so many sources. I think the most important thing for new drivers to remember is to always pay attention. The best thing they can do is practice, practice, practice. Good luck with your new driver.
Samantha Cribbs