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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2005, twelve teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries—a total of 4,544 teens.
What puts teen drivers at risk? Teens are more likely to:
• Underestimate or not recognize dangerous situations
• Speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next)
• Choose not to wear seatbelts (In 2005, 10% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else.)
The focus of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which began October 18 and lasts through Sunday, October 25, is to encourage parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of driving.
A recent study by the National Institutes for Health suggests that parental involvement and restrictions significantly reduce risky driving behavior during a driver’s first 12 to 18 months behind the wheel, according to AAA.
Besides expressing concern for their safety, parents should:
1. Extend teens’ supervised driving period – Include at least 30 to 50 hours of supervision over at least six months.
2. Set the rules of the road
- Ensure your teen always wears a seatbelt
- Limit nighttime driving
- Restrict the number of teen passengers in the car
3. Enforce the rules with a Parent-Teen Driving Contract – Discuss the contract with your teen, don’t just force him to sign it.
Parents should consider Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), where young drivers accumulate experience under controlled circumstances. GDL has three stages:
1. Learner’s Permit – A teen can only drive while supervised by a fully-licensed driver
2. Provisional/Intermediate License – A teen can drive unsupervised with some restrictions, such as nighttime driving or a limited number of passengers
3. Full Licensure
Teens should also take a look at What Do You Consider Lethal?, a Web site dedicated to raising teen awareness about risky driving. Parents can encourage their sons and daughters to take the pledge that includes the commitment:
I will not text while I drive, or do anything that would cause me to take my eyes off the road.
I will not drive recklessly. I value my life and the lives of my friends.
For more info:
AAA Parent-Teen Driving Agreement
Teen Crashes: Everyone is at Risk
Graduated Driver Licensing Tool Kit
Comments
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