3 Tips To Help Keep Your Teens Safe While Driving

With school back in session, teenagers are going to be behind the wheel more frequently due to an increase in extracurricular activities. This also means that there is an increase in risk of automobile collisions involving teenagers. One of the primary reasons that teens are more at risk of being involving in an accident is due to their lack of driving experience. In order to keep your teenager safe this year, you need to offer them some guidance. Here are some helpful tips:

Tip #1: Seat Belts Are Mandatory

Your teen may get tired of hearing it, but it is important that he or she understands the importance of buckling up before ever putting the vehicle into drive. This rules goes for every person in the vehicle.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seat belts are among the most effective ways to reduce injuries and save lives in vehicle collisions, though millions of individuals fail to wear them. In fact, buckling up can reduce your risk of injury and death in a crash by roughly 50 percent!

Tip #2: Minimize Night Driving

Your risk of getting into a vehicle collision at night is higher than it is during the day. After all, it is more difficult to see threats. It is going to be even more difficult for your inexperienced teen driver who probably has even grown fully comfortable driving during the day yet.

Plus, statistics show that 58 percent of teenage-related nighttime crashes occur sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight. With that being said, it is a good idea to minimize how much your teen drives at night and potentially set a curfew for your teen.

Tip #3: Limit the Number of Passengers in the Vehicle

Teens rarely travel alone; they always want their friends with them. However, it is never a good idea for the entire car to be full. Just having one passenger with your teen can increase their risk of being involved in a collision significantly.

Statistics show that when two or more passengers are in the vehicle that the risk of getting into a fatal accident is eight times more than usual. The more passengers in the vehicle, the more likely it is for your teen driver to get distracted and getting into an accident. Therefore, you may want to put a restriction on how many passengers your teen can have in the car with him or her at any one given time.

If your teenage driver has been involved in a car collision or you have been in an accident caused by a teenage driver, contact an experienced automobile accident injury attorney immediately to discuss what options are available in your individual situation.

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