As parents, we know the day is coming when our teenagers will get behind the wheel and drive independently of our watchful eyes. This thought, however, remains universally terrifying for most of us. Fortunately, there are safety tips that you can implement to help ensure your teen becomes the safest driver that he or she can be. Car accidents are dangerous accidents, so If you or someone you love has been injured by another driver’s negligence, consult with an experienced Central Texas personal injury lawyer today.
Teen Driver Statistics
From the day your children were born, you have devoted yourself to keeping them safe, and now you are preparing to allow them to get behind the wheel of a car. It is a frightening prospect. The fact is that the statistics – according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – related to teen drivers are seriously concerning:
Of all teen-driver fatalities in 2016, 31 percent involved speeding.
As teenagers gain confidence as drivers, they tend to speed more often.
Car crashes remain the leading cause of teen deaths.
Driving is statistically dangerous in the best of conditions, but when a teenager is at the wheel, it increases the statistical danger significantly.
Top Four Safety Tips
The best way to help keep your teen become a safer driver is to implement four important safety tips:
Talk to your teen driver about the inherent driving risks he or she faces, including the fact that car crashes are the leading cause of deaths in teenagers and that speeding is often the culprit.
Always model safe driving behaviors, including making sure that everyone in the car is buckled up, not driving while distracted or impaired, and adhering to the safety rules of the road.
Provide your teen with plenty of practice behind the wheel – in a variety of different driving environments – before allowing him or her to drive solo. Experience is critical to safe driving.
Carefully explain the increased risks associated with not wearing a seatbelt, with driving while distracted (especially by a smartphone), and with driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or exhaustion. The risks for teenage drivers are far too great not to ensure that your teen driver understands the danger inherent to such activities.
By consistently implementing these safety tips, you can help your teen become a safer driver.