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If Your Teen Follows These 4 Tips When Driving They Will Be Significantly Less Likely to Be Involved in a Car Accident

Giving your teenager the keys to your car can be difficult for a number of reasons. Not only are you watching them grow up before your very eyes, you are also giving them freedom and that freedom can come with a price. In fact, car accidents are the leading cause of death of teens. The good news is that by getting them to follow these four tips, their chances of being in a deadly car accident will be drastically reduced.

  1. They Should Obey the Speed Limit
  2. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that speed was an issue in nearly one of every three car-related teen deaths last year. Teach your children that they do not have to keep up with traffic if traffic is moving too fast. Tell them that obey the speed limit not only keeps them safer but it means they will not get a ticket that could affect their ability to continue driving – not to mention drive up their insurance costs for years to come.

  3. They Should Not Drive with Passengers
  4. This can be a tough one because teens want their friends in their car with them. However, a teen is 2.5 times as likely to be in a car accident if they are driving with passengers than they are if they are driving alone. With every additional person you add to the car, the danger goes up and up. Your teens should learn that the time for socializing is not when they are driving.

  5. They Should Never Drive if Drunk or Otherwise Impaired
  6. One in five teen drivers who died in car accidents in 2016 had been drinking. Teens are the most likely people to be killed in DUI accidents. Make sure your teen knows that they should never drink and drive but make sure they know that is not that’s involved. For example, certain prescription drugs can make them unsafe behind the wheel. If they are driving while drowsy then they are impaired and should not be driving.

  7. They Should Never Text When Behind the Wheel
  8. A study from the Journal of Adolescent Health has found that two out of every five surveyed teens admit that they sometimes text or send emails while driving. Research has shown that every time a person sends a text while driving, they are taking their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. This is long enough to drive the entire length of a football field. Texting while driving makes teens 23 times as likely to crash.

While the goal is to significantly reduce the number of teen accidents, nothing can prevent them all. If your teen is in an accident and you need legal help please contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 to speak to a personal injury attorney.