If you have teenage children, you’re probably worried about them all the time. One of the most worrisome things for parents is when their child turns sixteen and wants to get a driver’s license.
Teenagers are not known for their safe driving skills. In fact, young people are known for their risky behaviors and lack of driving experience. This combination can have fatal consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teens ages 15 to 20 make up less than 7% of the total driving population but are involved in 14% of all fatal crashes.
As personal injury attorneys, we have personally seen far too many teenagers whose lives have been changed forever due to a simple driving mistake. Here are some tips to reduce the risk that your teenager will be in an auto accident.
Driving School
Consider enrolling your child in a driver’s education class. This class will address the areas of concern you have with your child driving. Driving schools can teach your teenager important skills like defense driving/car accident prevention and driving in inclement weather. As an added benefit, many insurance companies will lower your premium if your teen completes a safe driving course.
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Seat Belt Use
Let your teen know that he are she must wear a seat belt at all times when driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent death and serious injury in the event of a crash. More than half of the people that were killed in fatal crashes were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents for teenage drivers. Talking on the phone or texting while driving or having other teenagers in the car are distractions that take a teen driver’s attention away from the road where it should be. Let your child know that no call or text is more important than their life. Consider having your child sign a contract agreeing not to call or text while driving with penalties attached if they break the rules. Brand new drivers shouldn’t have any other passengers in the car. Once they have a little bit more experience, you might consider allowing a limited number of teen passengers that can be in the car with your teen driving.
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Nighttime Driving
Roughly one-third of teen auto deaths happen at night, between the hours of 9PM and 3AM. Consider establishing a driving curfew, putting a firm limit on how late your teen can be out with the car. Once your teen has become more experienced at night driving, you might extend that time limit.
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Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been in an accident and you would like to speak with an experienced Car Accident Attorney, contact Anthem Injury Lawyers at (702) 987-2020 for a Free Consultation. We have experienced Car Accident Lawyers ready to review your case.
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