My Improv Warns Parents To Watch Teen Drivers Carefully
We were all teenagers once. Knowing this should be reason enough for every parent to keep a close eye on their teen driver; warn them of the dangers of distracted driving and monitor everything they do behind the wheel.
Online, May 27, 2012 (Newswire.com) - According to both the Centers for Disease Control and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration teen drivers run a higher risk of being in a serious vehicle crash than any other demographic.
According to a recent study by the NHTSA the causes of teen vehicle crashes are very specific and easy to spot if you are paying attention.
The most common cause is simply inexperience. Teen drivers just don't know how to react in certain situations. They are more likely to over-correct, lose control during hazardous driving conditions (like rainy days or during winter months) and follow too closely.
Teen drivers are also more likely to speed. And despite the rise in distracted driving accidents, speed is nearly always a contributing factor in vehicle crashes.
Teen drivers are also less likely to wear their seat belts. In test after test and more than 50 years of research, seat belts have been proven to save lives and prevent injury in the event of a vehicle collision. But they only work if you are securely fastened into one. If you don't wear it, it doesn't help you at all.
Add to these facts that teenagers are more prone to be distracted while driving, either by their friends, a handheld device (teenagers text more than any other demographic by a huge margin) or even their car stereo, and you can easily see why teenagers run a higher risk of vehicle crashes than any other group.
As a parent it is your responsibility to teach your teenager about the dangers of driving. You should remind them that for perhaps the first time in their life everything that happens (while they are driving) is in their control. This is power. But with great power also comes great responsibility. The sooner they learn to be responsible behind the wheel the sooner they will make it to graduation safe and sound.
