Drivers aged 16-25 are at most risk for driving accidents, worrying parents everywhere. Here are the 4 most dangerous habits they form, and how to break that suboptimal behavior.
If you need some tips on your own driving, here are some mistakes all drivers are guilty of.
Speeding
Breaking the speed limit puts teen drivers at risk for accidents, as well as for speeding tickets. Speeding tickets are a double whammy — the tickets themselves can be costly, and they can increase insurance premiums. A reckless-driving speeding ticket could increase your premium by 22% a year. That $176/year, if your base insurance costs $800/year, and that ticket can follow you for a few years.
Make sure your teen eases up on the pedal just a bit to avoid those tickets. Then consider that money in the bank as an excuse to take a little family vacation every few years.
Using Phone and Apps
Sure, stories of drivers using Snapchat to document >100mph speeds, or plowing into trees while chasing Pokemon are the exception, but nearly 70% of teens admit to using apps while driving. While driving 55mph, taking eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds, means ignoring a stretch of road the length of a football field. That leaves a plenty of room for error and serious accidents.
Training new drivers begins well before they get behind the wheel. Parents have encouraged children to buckle up, and have modeled that behavior themselves. They should do the same for mobile devices. Before starting the vehicle, make a point to check phones for text messages or email, if necessary, then silence all incoming alerts. Put the phone in the glovebox, or a location within the car, but not within tempting reach. Also, if you know your teen — or anyone — is driving, do your part and avoid texting or calling that driver until he or she has likely reached the destination.
Not Wearing a Seat Belt
As with mobile phone use, parents should always make a point to confirm that their own seat belts are on, and ensure kids are buckled in, too. Don’t pull out of your parking spot or driveway until every belt is fastened.
NHTSA has estimated that lap/shoulder seat belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. Seat belts dramatically decrease the risk of drivers and passengers being ejected from the vehicle. According to the same NHTSA report, in fatal crashes in 2014, about 80% of passenger vehicle occupants who were ejected from the vehicle were killed.
The Passenger Effect
According to Autoblog, teen drivers and passengers are a deadly mix. New drivers may not even realize that loading a car with friends is a mistake. Referencing this AAA study, Autoblog noted that when teens drive, carrying one young (under 21) passenger increased fatality rates by 44 percent. That risk “doubled with two passengers, and quadruples when carrying three or more passengers who are under 21 years old.”
While limiting your young driver’s capacity to carry friends may seem over-protective, you should make yourself aware of the statistics.
Drive safely!
Now that your new driver is being more careful on the road, make sure their ride is safe too!
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