National Teen Driver Safety Week kicked off on Sunday. Of course this week is dedicated to making sure we keep our teen drivers safe while they are on the road.
The safety week runs through October, 25th.
The Center for Disease Control says if you are a hands on parent about buckling up and safety then your kids are 50% safer.
Teens have the highest crash rate out there according to The Department of Motor Vehicles.
Car Crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, constituting 36% of all deaths in this age group according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Each year over 5,000 teens, ages 16 to 19, die due to fatal injuries caused by car accidents.
About 400,000 drivers age 16 to 19 are seriously injured. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about four times (4x) more likely than other drivers to crash
Don’t forget: distracted driving is one of the main contributors to crashes, death, and is the leading cause of death for teens, according to The National Highway Safety Administration.
Another factor is not buckling up The CDC says.
The CDC says 60% of teens who died in car crashes were not buckled up.
Below are tips to help your teenager stay focused while on the road:
- Always wear your seat belt--and make sure all passengers buckle up, too.
- Never try to fit more people in the car than you have seatbelts for.
- Obey the speed limits. Going too fast gives you less time to stop or react. Excess speed is one of the main causes of teenage accidents.
- Don't run red lights.
- Use turn signals to indicate your intention to turn or to change lanes, and make sure the signals turns off after you've completed the action.
- When light turns green, make sure intersection clears before you go.
- Make sure your windshield is clean. At sunrise and sunset, light reflecting off your dirty windshield can momentarily blind you from seeing what's going on.
- Don't drink and drive, and don't ride with anyone who has been drinking. Call parents or friends to take you home if you need a ride.
- Don't take drugs and drive. Don't ride with anyone who has been using drugs. Even some over the counter drugs can make you drowsy. Check label for warnings.
Teen drivers can be safe on the road with the right kind of driver education. Believe it or not, teen drivers are influenced by what they see their parents doing.
Make sure you set a good example for your teens. We hope everyone drives safe and they drive smart!
