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Teen Drivers on Motorcycles, Mopeds and Scooters

January 22, 2009

Many teen drivers today are turning to motorcycles, mopeds and scooters for transportation.
These vehicles cost little to nothing (in the case of electric scooters) for gas, are easy to maneuver and park, and in some states, mopeds and scooters can be legally operated at a younger age than required for passenger vehicles and/or can be legally operated without a driver’s license. But the benefits of these vehicles are offset by the compromise in safety.

Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters are less visible in traffic, and their riders are much more vulnerable to injury in a crash. Riders of these vehicles must take this into account.

Here are some safety tips for riders:

  • Make training a priority. Even if a license is not required, for safety’s sake, practice extensively in a variety of road and weather conditions. Learn how to minimize wobbling when accelerating and how to avoid locking the wheels when braking. Ask a seasoned rider for help. If a license is required, make sure to get one – about one-quarter of fatally injured motorcycle riders don’t have a valid license.
  • Choose the roads you use carefully. Try not to select those with heavy, fast-moving traffic. Mopeds and scooters are not allowed on some roads.
  • Watch for vehicles following you too closely. You have the ability of stopping much more quickly than cars. If you stop quickly in front of a vehicle that is following too closely, you could be run over. Drivers may tailgate a moped or scooter because these vehicles often travel at lower speeds than cars. Use a hand or electric signal well ahead of a stop or turn to give drivers behind you time to slow down.
  • All of these vehicles are less stable and less visible than cars, but motorcycles combine this with high-performance capabilities. Don’t overuse the power of the motorcycle and cause a crash. Per mile traveled, the number of deaths on motorcycles is about 26 times the number in cars.
  • Weather and road conditions present greater difficulties for you than to the driver of a passenger vehicle. A puddle may hide a hole that jolts a car; the same hidden hole can throw your vehicle out of control. When it rains, reduced traction may make it difficult for you to see and balance and reduce your control of the vehicle. A wind gust could move your vehicle across an entire lane. Gravel roads decrease traction and may cause you to slow down or brake where a car or not. Anticipate these changes whenever possible and begin slowing down early so vehicles behind you will have time to react. Use extra care when crossing railroad tracks. The tires of your vehicle could get caught in the grooves of the crossing, causing you to lose your balance.
  • Never carry a passenger unless it is legal and you are comfortable doing so. Passengers change the way you operate your vehicle. If you are inexperienced in transporting a passenger, you may have extra difficulties with balance and control of your vehicle.
  • Whether it’s required by law or not, always wear a helmet. Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing rider deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. A rider who isn’t wearing a helmet is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury compared with a helmeted rider.

Learn more about how to get your motorcycle learners permit and license today and start your adventures safely!

Wear a seat belt

Five Worst Teen Driving Mistakes: Part One

December 11, 2008

Most parents live in dread of the day their teens get driver’s licenses and get behind the wheel on their own. Their concerns are well-founded, since teen drivers have the highest death rates in car crashes of any age group. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among Americans aged 15-20. But parents can help their teens be a safer driver even after they are licensed, particularly by paying attention to common risk factors. In this five-part series, we’ll discuss the five worst teen driving mistakes:

In this, part one of the series, we’ll emphasize the importance of wearing safety belts. First, you’ll need to set the right example for your children by wearing your safety belt. “Do as I stay, not as I do,” doesn’t work with teens, particularly when they’re out of your sight and you can’t personally enforce the rule.

Also, make sure you never pull out of your driveway or a parking space until everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt. Many high school students fail to use their safety belts even when riding with adults who are buckled up. An observational survey conducted at 12 high schools found that 46 percent of high school students were not wearing their safety belts when riding with adult drivers. About half of the unbelted students were riding with adults who were belted. If your teens are used to wearing safety belts as passengers, they’ll be comfortable wearing them as drivers.

Next, educate your teen about the benefits of wearing safety belts. Here’s some supportive information:

  • Research has found that lap/shoulder safety 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. For light truck occupants, safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent.
  • Ejection from the vehicle is one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in a crash. In fatal crashes in 2005, 75% of passenger car occupants who were totally ejected from the vehicle were killed. Safety belts are effective in preventing total ejections. Only 1% of the occupants reported to have been using restraints were totally ejected, compared with 30% of the unrestrained occupants.
  • Safety belts should always be worn, even when riding in vehicles equipped with air bags. Air bags are designed to work with safety belts, not alone. Air bags, when not used with safety belts, have a fatality-reducing effectiveness rate of only 12 percent.

Third, educate your teen about the safety belt laws in your state. Be sure to review the graduated licensing laws – safety belt enforcement may differ from that of fully licensed drivers.

Statistical source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Driving teens

Buying the Right Car for Your Teen Driver

December 1, 2008

Most parents instinctively know that buying a sports car for their teen drivers would probably be a big mistake. A high-horsepower, easily maneuverable car could be a deadly temptation for a teen, especially combined with the teen’s feeling of invincibility and risk-taking behavior. But if your child is pressuring you for a sporty convertible, here’s some ammunition for saying no.

The first years of driving are very risky, no matter what your teen is driving. Teen drivers have the highest death rates in car crashes of any age group. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among Americans aged 15-20.

And some cars are simply more deadly than others. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, small sports cars such as the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Corvette, and the Pontiac Sunfire have the highest death rates in crashes. “Vehicle choice does matter,” says J. Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Use it as another means to have a conversation with your teen.”

For more support, go online with your teen and check out insurance rates for their vehicle of choice. Explain that adding the teen to your policy will raise your rates no matter what she or he is driving. “Having a young driver added to your insurance will raise the rate 50 to 100 percent,” says Jeanne Salvatore, vice president of consumer affairs for the Insurance Information Institute. But the rates are much higher for vehicles considered high-risk.

Lastly, and perhaps most important, you are still the parent. Getting a driver’s license is an exciting rite of passage for your teen, but this new level of independence doesn’t end your primary job as a parent – to make the safest possible choices for your child.

Many parents, swinging to the other end of the pendulum, think an ancient clunker shaped like a tank would be safest for their teens. But experts demur, for two main reasons. First, the poor acceleration power of an older vehicle both makes it more difficult for teens to accelerate in some driving situations, such as lane changes and highway merges, and tempts them to simply drive faster to make up the difference in accelerating power. Second, older vehicles don’t have the benefit of modern safety features, such as airbags and electronic stability control.

So, with these two vehicle types out of the question, how do you select a safe car for your child?

First, consider size. A mid- or larger-size car could mean the difference between life and death in a crash. Though that’s true for drivers and passengers of all ages, it’s especially true for teens because of the high likelihood of driver error, which often leads to a crash.

Former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Jeffrey Runge, a former emergency room physician, recommends vehicles weighing at least 3,300 pounds for teen drivers. This is a good guideline for parents who are unsure of which vehicle class to shop in for their teen’s car.

Here again, some parents go to the extreme and choose an SUV for their teen drivers. But most safety experts think this a mistake. SUVs have a high center of gravity and thus are more likely to roll over than other vehicles. Drivers aged 16 to 20 are more than twice as likely to be involved in a rollover in an SUV than older drivers. Second, SUVs can be challenging to handle in an emergency, making them a better choice for those with more driving experience than teens. And SUVs carry more passengers, which make the vehicle more unstable and can be highly distracting for a teen driver.

A second important consideration in the choice of a car for your teen is crash protection. Although a vehicle with front driver and passenger airbags should be relatively easy to find, consider side airbags that protect the head and chest. You’ll have to do some research, because not all car manufacturers approach this the same way. “The trend is now more curtain airbags for the head and more door-mounted for the chest,” says Mark Krawczyk, consumer information director for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Electronic stability control helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles during extreme steering maneuvers. Since teens are prone to overcorrecting in an emergency, it may be well worth it. The feature “cuts single vehicle crashes by more than half in our studies,” says Susan Ferguson, senior vice president of research for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) also allow a driver to maintain control of the steering during emergency braking situations. Be sure to teach your teen to use anti-lock brakes properly in an emergency – hit the brakes hard and don’t let up. The pulsing vibration you feel means the ABS are working; some drivers instinctively let up on the brake when they feel it, so it’s important to practice not letting up on the brake so your teen will do the right thing in an emergency situation.

If your budget allows, check out the more advanced crash-avoidance technologies found on newer modes, such as emergency brake assist, lane departure warnings, and blind spot warnings.

And don’t forget the basics. All vehicles come with safety belts – make sure your teen wears them on every trip. Don’t forget to check the tires, headlight and taillights on a regular basis to make sure they’re in good working order.

Lastly, when buying a car for your teen, realize that you are entering a new era of driver training. Your teen will be excited and very probably overconfident in her or his abilities. Be sure to train them in the vehicle you choose. Require that your young driver demonstrate responsible behavior and meet experience requirements in diverse road conditions before heading out on the road alone. Check up on them frequently. Sign a teen driving contract to make sure your teen explicitly understands your requirements.

Reducing teen crash rates

What is More Dangerous than Being a Teen Driver? Being a Teen Who Rides with One!

November 30, 2008

Many parents know that training their teen to be a good driver is critical to the teen’s safety.   But parents also need to limit the number of passengers who ride with their teen and pay attention to the teen drivers their children ride with as passengers.  Studies show that the presence of one passenger doubles the fatal crash risk for a teen driver, and the risk increases with each additional passengers.   Forty percent of teen motor-vehicle deaths involve passengers.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, accounting for 36% of all deaths of teens aged 15-19.  Two-thirds of the deaths of passengers in this age group happen in cars driven by other teenagers.

In a study at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, researchers discovered that:

  • A 16-year-old carrying one passenger is 39% more likely to get killed than one driving alone.
  • The likelihood increases 86% with two passengers and 182% with three or more.
  • The rate for 17-year-olds is still higher – 48% with one passenger, 158% with two passengers, and 207% with three passengers.

A study by the University of Michigan Transportation Institute said that the most significant risk issues for teen drivers are teen passengers, driving on weekends and driving at night.  In addition, the researchers found that 56% of the teen drivers in the study had been in at least one crash.

Even teens seem to understand the risk.  A 2008 survey by Erie Insurance Company found that although 91% of teens think they are driving safely, only 34% could say the same of their friends.  Ninety-seven percent of the teens surveyed said they had seen other teen drivers participating in risky behaviors such as speeding and not wearing seatbelts.  Forty-eight percent said they are easily distracted when friends are passengers.  In a separate study by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm, the number was even higher – 94% of teens said that passengers distracted the driver in some way; for example, by talking on a cell phone or listening to loud music.

In addition to the distraction caused by cell phones and loud music, a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health found that teenage drivers of both genders were more likely to tailgate and exceed the speed limit if there was a teenage male passenger in the front seat.   In fact, when a male passenger was in the vehicle, a quarter of teenage drivers exceeded the speed limit by at least 15 miles per hour.  Also, female teen drivers were slightly more likely to tailgate if there was a female teen passenger in the vehicle with them.

Increasing the risk still further is the phenomenon of teen passengers not using seat belts. Studies show that even teens who buckle up as drivers often neglect to wear a safety belt when they are passengers in another teen’s car.

Researchers from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN analyzed data from national youth risk behavior surveys collected in 2001 and 2003 from 12,731 black, white and Hispanic high school students aged 16 and older.  The study found that 59% of the teens always used safety belts while driving, but only 42% always buckled up as passengers.  Only about 1/3 of the students surveyed said they always wore safety belts whether driving or riding as a passenger.

Passenger restrictions for teen drivers already exist as part of Graduated Licensing Laws in many states, and research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that passenger restrictions reduce crashes among 16-year-old drivers, so familiarize yourself with the laws in your state.  If restrictions exist, be sure to enforce them as part of your house rules.  If there are no restrictions, review the requirements in a few nearby states so you can create your own. Be sure to investigate the teen drivers your child might ride with – talk to the teen’s parents about the driver training the teen has received, and address any indiscretions (such as peeling out of your driveway) promptly.  Make sure your teen knows the importance of wearing a safety belt, whether driving or riding as a passenger, and teach your teen not to distract other drivers.  Review teen driver safety topics with your teen on a regular basis – use this newsletter for ideas.

Whether legislated or not, restrictions on passengers for teen drivers are necessary for your teen’s safety.  Traffic deaths for teens have decreased significantly since passenger and other restrictions were added to Colorado’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law in 2005.  In the three years prior to the enactment of passenger restrictions, more than 100 drivers and passengers aged 15-20 died on Colorado roadways each year.  In 2006, the year after the restrictions went into effect, the number of teens killed dropped to 72, and in 2007, the number dropped again to 51- a 50% drop since 2003.  These restrictions must be enforced to make a difference – by parents as well as by law enforcement.

“We will continue to be vigilant in enforcing the state’s GDL law, but we also need parents’ help in making sure the law is followed at home,” said Col. Mark Trostel, chief of the Colorado State Patrol.  “Sign a parent-teen driving agreement, don’t allow your teenager to have too many passengers during their first year of driving, establish a driving curfew, make sure they buckle up every time, and set yourself as an example.”

Help… My Teenager Drives Like a 70-Year-Old!

November 21, 2008

That will be the cry of parents everywhere if they do not enforce state laws – or their own house rules – prohibiting their teens from talking on a cellular telephone while driving.

Research published by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) says that talking on a cell phone turns the reaction time of the average 20-year-old driver into that of a 70-year-old. Researchers observed study participants on four simulated 10-mile trips lasting 10 minutes each. Participants talked on a cell phone during half of the trips and drove without talking for the other half. Hands-free cell phones were used for the study. The results of the study indicated that young drivers were 18% slower in braking response time and took 17% longer to regain the speed they lost while braking when they were using the cell phone.

The difference seems small but is significant – an extra fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency situation.

Young drivers (the term typically refers to drivers under the age of 21) need to know that the fast reflexes and excellent coordination they take for granted can easily be compromised when they submit to the lure of using a cell phone behind the wheel.

And parents of young drivers need to know that enforcement of cell phone laws depends on the example they set for their own teens and enforcement of (or creation of, if there’s no state law) a strict rule about not driving while talking on a cell phone in their own household. Recent research indicates that enactment of a state law prohibiting cell phone use while driving is not sufficient to keep teens from doing so.

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/UNC Highway Safety Research Center showed that teenage drivers’ cell phone use actually went up after the state of North Carolina enacted a ban on cell phone use by young drivers. The ban on cell phone use by drivers younger than age 18 is part of the state’s graduated licensing program.

One to two months prior to the ban’s start on Dec. 1, 2006, researchers observed 11% of teen drivers using cell phones as they drove away from school in the afternoon. About five months after the ban, they observed nearly 12% of teen drivers using phones. Half of the teens surveyed by phone after the law took effect said that they had used their cell phones, if they had driven, the day before the interview.

Interestingly, both young drivers and their parents strongly support the law (74% of teens and 95% of their parents) and say that the problem is that it isn’t being enforced. But teens have a far better rate of compliance with other graduated licensing restrictions even when those laws aren’t well-enforced.

“Most young drivers comply with graduated licensing restrictions such as limits on nighttime driving and passengers, even when enforcement is low,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research and an author of the study. “The hope in North Carolina was that the same would hold true for cell phone use, but this wasn’t the case…Parents play a big role in compliance with graduated licensing rules.”

Studies show that teenage minds are predisposed to risk-taking. In 2005 and 2006, a series of risk-reward studies across a range of age groups funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in The Journal of Neuroscience showed that when confronted with risky choices, the brains of teenagers exhibit twice as much activity in the impulse area as adult brains, while the area that expresses restraint shows less activity. The study indicated that it takes until the early 20s for the two areas to reach parity.

This biological imperative to throw caution to the wind, combined with a teenager’s natural rebellion and peer pressure to be able to handle dangerous situations without exhibiting fear, is a deadly mix.

Enforcement of the law is typically the purview of law enforcement, not parents. But a teen may only be motivated to comply when the law and parental “house rules” intersect, as in the case of driving curfews that are part of the graduated driver’s license programs in most states and household curfews that parents implement for the health and safety of their children.

“Cell phone bans for teen drivers are difficult to enforce,” McCartt says. “Drivers with phones to their ears aren’t hard to spot, but it’s nearly impossible for police officers to see hands-free devices or correctly guess how old drivers are.”

And Barbara Harsha, executive direction of the Governors Highway Safety Association, says, “What [cell phones while driving] laws do is send the message to the parent more than anything else.”

When surveyed after the cell phone restrictions in North Carolina took effect, only 39% of parents said they were aware of the cell phone law, compared with 64% of teen drivers. If only 39% of parents even knew the law existed, how many parents had discussed the law with their children? If parents knew about the law, they could use it to support their own house rules. If cell phone use while driving hadn’t been banned by the parents previously, they could use the state law as support for a new house rule.

Perhaps most difficult for some parents is setting a good example for their teens. Parents must drive the speed limit, wear their seat belts, avoid driving distractions such as cell phone use, and drive defensively. They should pull over to use their cell phones or have a passenger answer it instead. Parents should use this time to point out drivers who demonstrate risky behavior, including talking on cell phones, and initiate a discussion by asking the teen driver to explain why it’s unsafe. Here is a Parent Teen Driving Contract with recommendations from the Driver Education Handbook for Parents to help you and your teen compose a practical contract of rules regarding driving expectations.