Earning a driving license is one of the most exciting times for teens. It will mean the start of new opportunities for them, and less chauffeur driving for you. Unfortunately, this milestone comes with a downside -, the lack of driving experience often leads to crashes and devastating consequences. The truth is unsettling. according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens.
You, as a parent, play a big role in keeping your teen driver safe. They need rules, practice, and also a plan to follow in case of an accident. According to a study by the General Motors Foundation and Safe kids worldwide, when parents discuss rules of driving and get to an agreement with the teenager, teens are less likely to engage in risky behaviour while driving. For this reason, we have created this list with 5 rules to establish with your teen to hopefully keep them safer when they are ready to start driving.
Always wear a seat belt whenever driving. Same goes for any passengers.
One of the best ways to keep teens safe is by teaching them the importance of buckling up, even if they are in the back seat. Remind them that is their responsibility as drivers to make sure all the passengers are wearing the seat belt. Be an example and teach from the start. If you as a parent wear a seat belt, your teens are more likely to wear one as well. And remember, wearing a seatbelt isn’t an option, it’s the law.
Don’t travel with more than one passenger.
The number of passengers, especially if they are male, is directly related to the risk of having a crash. The license for teen drivers often limits the number of passengers allowed in an inexperienced teen driver’s car. If you want to learn more visit: www.ghsa.org. If your state doesn’t have a law in place, be sure to create an agreement with your teenager and make your teen sticks to it.
Always pay attention to the road.
Make sure your teenage driver understands that anything in or out of the car should not distract them. Many accidents that occur at night are due to difficult driving conditions combined with distractions caused by passengers. Distractions such as texting, talking on the phone, and checking email are dangerous for any driver, but especially for inexperienced drivers. Make a zero tolerance rule to the use of cell phones while driving.
Obey all traffic laws and speed limits, and reduce speed in case of bad weather conditions.
It is very important to highlight that speed limits are created for a reason. Make sure your teen follows all traffic laws. Parents need to give their teen plenty of supervised opportunities to practice driving at night and in all kinds of weather and situations.
Never drink alcohol or use drugs and drive. Ever.
There is no safe amount of alcohol a teen can drink before driving. Couple any impairment (it starts with one drink) with their inexperience behind the wheel, and you have a recipe for disaster. It is not only dangerous and can cause serious harm to themselves and others, but it is also against the law. DUI’s and DWI’s stay on your driving record for 10 years in the state of California, but they stay on your criminal record permanently.
If your teenage driver has been involved in a car accident, contact Maidenberg law Group for a free consultation. Call us toll-free at (888) 520-9617, or contact The Maidenberg Law Group online.
