It’s a sad reality that vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for American teens, with almost 2,500 teens killed on the road in 2018 and a further 285,000 needing emergency treatment.
Of course, accidents are unlikely, but they still happen — 2018 averaged about seven teen deaths a day, and that’s seven too many.
Teen driving is something that probably excites your children and frightens you in equal measure, but there are some useful tips to consider to help keep your teens safe! Keep reading on to learn more.
Limit Distractions
Of course, for teen safe driving, the driver shouldn’t be on their phone.
As tempting as it might be to talk or text a friend while on the road, it’s incredibly dangerous and increases the risk of an accident.
But what if their friend is in the car alongside them instead of on the other end of the phone? As the number of passengers in a vehicle increases, so does the risk of causing a fatal crash.
Teen driving statistics make grim reading here — when teen drivers carry passengers, and particularly other teens, the likelihood of crashing increases sharply.
Use Seatbelts and Slow Down
Seatbelts save lives — it’s as simple as that. Everyone, from you to your teens, should wear them.
When it comes to managing speed, teens can often be tempted to go faster than they should thanks to the impulsivity and poor judgment that so often comes with being young. Again, controlling your speed can save your life, so it’s important that your teens keep this in mind.
Keep Weather and Time in Mind
Where possible, your teen should avoid driving at night.
Though just 25% of all driving takes place at night, half of all traffic deaths occur during this time, making it significantly more dangerous than driving in daylight.
It might sound obvious, but bad weather will affect the safety of your teen while driving too. While inclement weather is always a hazard, drivers with less experience will be more at risk.
Take a Defensive Driving Course
Defensive driving courses will make your teen a better, and safer, driver, and they’re a great addition to teen driving lessons.
They’ll improve your teen’s reactions to hazards that could pop up as they drive, and teach them how to deal with inclement weather too.
By putting defensive driving into practice, your teen is less likely to be involved in an accident — find a teen driving school that offers these courses!
Know What to Do
In an ideal world, accidents wouldn’t happen. However, they do — would your teen know what to do in that situation?
As much as we’d rather the situation be avoided in the first place, it’s important that your teens know what to do, step by step. It could end up saving a life.
Making Teen Driving Safe
As tempting as it might be, you can’t be with your teen while they drive 24/7.
When it comes to teen driving, all you can do is equip your children with as much knowledge as possible, so they know how to keep themselves safe and minimize the risk of causing accidents as much as possible — our tips should provide a valuable starting point.
If you’re looking for more health and lifestyle advice, don’t forget to check out the rest of our posts!
