Getting a driver’s license is undeniably a major event in every teenager’s life. But with their new found freedom and mobility comes increased potential for harm to themselves and others. In addition to driver’s training, it’s up to parents to teach and reinforce safe, responsible driving habits in their new teen drivers.
Teen drivers are at risk
Teen drivers statistically have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The crash rate for 16-year-olds is 3.7 times higher than drivers of all ages, while the crash rate for 16 to 19-year-olds is 2.7 times higher than drivers of all ages.
What Parents Can Do
Set an example
Don’t wait until your teen is old enough to beg for those car keys. Talk early and often about driving safety, showing by example best practices like always wearing a seatbelt, and never using a mobile device when behind the wheel with the car in motion.
Educate and discuss
Knowing and understanding the leading causes of teen crashes is imperative so that teen drivers can develop safe driving habits. The top three reasons for teen crashes are due to critical teen driver errors*:
- Failing to continuously scan to detect and respond to potential hazards
- Driving too fast for road conditions (ex/ to successfully navigate a curve)
- Being distracted by something inside or outside the vehicle
These errors can be avoided by teaching, discussing and practicing preventative measures.
Practice, practice, practice
- One of the most important habits for drivers to establish is to constantly scan from side to side and far ahead of the vehicle for potential hazards. Make the time to give your teen as much supervised experience as possible to familiarize her with this necessary skill.
- In addition, be sure to expose her to a variety of road, weather and traffic conditions – as well as at different times of the day – so that she can learn how to react appropriately when faced with these very different situations.
Safety First
- The simple act of wearing a seatbelt can cut the risk of dying or being badly injured in a car crash by half, and is a requirement for drivers and passengers at all times.
- Nighttime driving risks for teens are twice as high as in daylight. Limiting nighttime driving for new teen drivers is a good idea, at least for the first 6 months of licensed driving.
- Reduce reckless driving behavior by making sure your teen knows and follows speed limits, keeps enough room behind the vehicle ahead and constantly scans the surroundings.
- Talk to your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving (1/3 of fatal teen crashes are alcohol-related, and on average, one in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime**).
Minimize distractions
- Driving distractions can make a driver take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel and mind off the act of driving, all of which endanger the driver and others.
- Don’t allow your teen driver to do activities that take her attention from operating the vehicle (including talking/texting on a mobile device, eating, playing with the stereo).
- Set rules for how many friends can be in the car with your teen driver, as well as expected behaviors while they are passengers. These include wearing seatbelts, not being rowdy or disruptive, keeping the music down so she can still hear external sounds, etc.
For more information on responsible teen driving tips and statistics, check out these helpful resources:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Teen Drivers)
- MADD.org
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Motor Vehicle Safety)
*Accident Analysis and Prevention, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance, 2011
**Statistic sfrom MADD.org