Essential Tips for Teen Drivers
When a teenager gets their drivers license it gives them and their parents freedom! The kids get to experience the freedom of driving themselves and friends wherever and whenever they please (to the extent of the family rules) and parents gain freedom from having to drive their teenagers to the many activities that tie up their day.
To keep the new drivers / teenagers safe from harm, it is wise for parents to use balance, caution and risk in all the decisions they make concerning their child and their car.
To put this all in perspective, here is some results from a ton of research on new drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- New drivers are more likely to have an accident in the first two years of driving then at any other time in their lives.
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds. This accounts for 40% of all teen deaths.
- Only about 20% of 16 to 19 year olds drive at night, but 50% of the fatal accidents occur during these hours.
- 43% of teen motor vehicle deaths occur between the hours of 9:00 pm and 6:00 am.
- 54% of teen motor vehicle deaths occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- About 36% of crashes that kill young people involve alcohol.
OK Moms, avoid giving your teens the keys to the car on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am and you have done a lot to keep them safe!
You also need to be good role models. That teenage child still watches your every move! So buckle up, slow down, don’t drink and drive, don’t tailgate and don’t talk on the phone while driving!
It also helps to have clear expectations for the new driver and clear consequences for their mistakes. Check out my New Driver Contract. Print it out and spend some time filling it out with your new driver. Positive, clear communication will go a long way to keeping them safe and reduce your stress.
by Amy Mattinat
What tips do you have for New Drivers?
July 18th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Hi all:
We recently launched an affordable, yet effective service, TeensOnBoard to assist parents in monitoring the driving behaviors of their new teen driver on the road. As car crash fatalities being the #1 killer of teens in the USA, it is critical that we address this issue as responsible parents. As the parent of a new teen driver in New Jersey, I have made it a goal to work to bring attention and resources to address this issue.
I invite you to learn more at: http://www.teensonboard.com and/or the information below.
Best wishes,
Mark New,
Founder
TeensOnBoard.com
info@teensonboard.com
908.281.0020
_________________________________________________________________________________
About TeensOnBoardâ„¢
Based in Hillsborough, N.J., TeensOnBoardâ„¢ was founded in 2008 by human resources
executive and concerned father Mark New as a membership organization dedicated to keeping
teenage drivers safe on the road while they gain driving experience. The mission of the organization:
-To help prevent car accidents involving teenage drivers and other motorists.
-To help teenage drivers build on their driving skills by providing constructive feedback from the real-time observations of other motorists.
-To provide parents with a level of control that builds confidence, trust and peace of mind while their teen driver transitions to becoming an experienced and responsible adult driver.
TeensOnBoardâ„¢ accomplishes its mission by providing its members with a Teen Driver Monitoring Service that works as follows:
(1) Parents place a TeensOnBoardâ„¢ “How’s My Driving†reflective, UV-protected, non-removable bumper sticker on the rear bumper of the car. A registration number identifies the teen’s car.
(2) The TeensOnBoard™ website address and toll free number is displayed on the bumper ID, allowing other motorists to provide feedback on the teen’s driving by dialing 1-877-Teens-13.
(3) The TeensOnBoardâ„¢ trained customer service representatives answer calls on a 24/7/365 basis and fill out a detailed report.
(4)Parents receive an email or phone call from TeensOnBoardâ„¢ within hours of the reported incident.
A portion of the membership dues are used to fund the TeensOnBoardâ„¢ Call Center and for donations to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).
TeensOnBoardâ„¢ advocates community education programs for teen drivers and parents and
provides educational information and safety tips on its website, http://www.teensonboard.com.
Teen Driving Statistics:
-The #1 cause of death for 15 – 20 year olds is in a car collision. Every year, between 5,000 and 8,000 teenagers — 15 or more every day — are killed in car accidents in the U.S. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
-Teenage drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. 16-year-old drivers have the
highest incidence of fatal crashes; most of these are single car crashes and involve excessive
speed and driver inattention. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
-In 2006, almost 8,000 people died in car crashes involving teen drivers; over 5,000 were teens and other children. (National Safety Council)
-Teens 16-19 are more likely to be injured in a car accident than any other cause. One in five
teens will likely have a driving accident during their first year. (Journal of Safety Research)
-The 6 largest auto insurance companies have instituted programs to address the issue of teenager driving. (Wall Street Journal)
-Drivers 15-17 years old carrying just one passenger increase their risk of a crash by 50%. (Institute for Highway Safety)
-Although 45 states have instituted a graduated licensing program for teen drivers, total fatalities have increased in the past 12 years. (Wall Street Journal)
For Information:
Mark New, Founder
TeensOnBoardâ„¢
908-281-0020
marknew@teensonboard.com
http://www.teensonboard.com
July 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for adding this information to the Tips For Teen Drivers.
I too have a teenager ready to start driving my car, and the more information I can get my hands no the better!
August 30th, 2008 at 3:15 am
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August 18th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Good article and thanks for tips Amy. The tips are really very helpful my teen. Teens or young drivers should drive safely and also follow traffic rules and this helps them to be safe from accidents. They have to first learn driving from driving school or from there elders so that they can improve there driving skills and know more about safe driving. They should not cross there driving speed limit which is really very important. carinsurancetemporary.co.uk