Teen drivers Archives - Page 18 of 20 - Safe Teen Driving Blog

Are You a Road Ready Teen?

October 16, 2006

Most teens have heard from their parents that driving is a big responsibility and that we have to earn it. This comes with a lot of eye rolling on our parts and impatience at getting those car keys in our hand. Well, the fact of the matter is, our parents have a point. Fatal car accidents are the number one killer for teenagers and other young drivers under 25 years of age.

As teenagers, it is important to ask ourselves what have we as done exactly to earn the driving privilege we feel we are owed? Are we paying the gas, insurance, and car payment that enable us to drive? Most teens are not doing any of those things. We perhaps will automatically assume that we will get driving privileges the moment we get our driver’s permit.

For us teenagers, a sure-fire way to prove that we can handle the responsibility of driving is by taking the “Road Ready Teens” driving program that is presented by DaimlerChrysler. Let’s face it – teens as a whole are not proving to the adults that they are ready for the road. Young drivers are inexperienced and have a high rate of fatal car crashes.

This program has a number of aspects that are actually quite interesting and informative. As teens, we can learn many things to help us become better drivers, keep the roads safe and our parents happy.

There are a few driving schools that offer this type of program, but this video game is the first of its kind. It will simulate road risks you may encounter, and test you to figure out how you would handle your car. For instance, it may simulate a blown tire to see if your first reaction is to swerve (not good), or to calmly guide your vehicle to the side of the road.

Trust me; you don’t want to learn these driving tips by experience, so playing the video game is a good idea. You can even email your friends and issue challenges to try to beat your score, which puts the fun back into learning to drive.

Teen Drivers at a Serious Risk: Some Statistics

October 9, 2006

We all know that fatal accidents involving teenage drivers is becoming a problem, but do we know exactly how much of a problem? It’s easy to ignore statistics, especially when we don’t know each individual that became a part of that statistic.

When fatal accidents happen in our community, and when we start attending the funerals of teenagers that we went to school with, then we start to see the problem. We should not be waiting until someone we know is killed to pay attention to the risk we teenage drivers pose to ourselves.

We could be the next statistic if we don’t pay attention NOW.

Here are some startling statistics offered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. Remember, each of these numbers could have been someone you know: a close friend, classmate, sister, or brother.

More than 68,000 teenagers have died in car accidents in the last ten years. Even scarier is that two thirds of those killed were teenage boys.
In America, car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers. It seems so senseless, considering that a fatal accident is more easily prevented than cancer, suicide, murder, and other ways we teenagers can die.
The fatality rate for teenage drivers is about four times higher than the rate for drivers that are 25 years and older. This is the reason it is clearly a matter of experience when it comes to the problem of fatal teenage accidents. Inexperienced drivers are at a higher risk.
In 2001, almost 7,600 teenagers were involved in a fatal crash, 5,300 of those were killed, and two thirds of those killed were not wearing their seatbelt. If it’s not the law in your state to wear a safety belt, do it anyway!
Finally, a staggering 65% of teenage passengers killed in car crashes, died while another teenager was driving.

One thing is clear: if you are a teenage driver, you are at a high risk of killing yourself, or someone you know, each time you get behind the wheel. Take the time to learn your vehicle, the rules of the road, and avoid carrying passengers until you can be sure you and your friends won’t become one of the statistics listed above.

Exercising Parental Control Can Lead to Fewer Teen Driving Crashes

September 22, 2006

Sometimes it can be tough being a teenager. You have all these expectations heaped on you – get good grades, be responsible, mind your parents… But what if your parents are not exercising any control over your behavior? Results from the latest Teens Today study show that driving accidents are way down in the teenage category as compared to twenty-five years ago. That sounds great on the surface but the reality of it is that those teenagers who are causing the crashes are not being governed adequately by their parents.

These crash-causing teens are practicing reckless behavior like driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs. Others are being just plain careless by not practicing safe driving conduct. Ask any teenager who drives and acts responsibly why they have not been in an accident. The answer is their parents impose consequences for their negative actions and behavior. It is as simple as that! They screw up whether it is a scratch on the bumper or a speeding ticket and chances are that the parents will take their car keys away for a period of time. What better way for us to learn than by cutting off our source of independence!

We all grumble about our parents from time to time. But let’s face it – some of them just aren’t as involved in our lives as they should be. We all have heard that old saying about kids wanting discipline. Well, in this case, while teenagers may not say they want it, they need it to stay on the straight and narrow. Parents – we should not have to learn the hard way about drinking and driving or bad driving practices like sending text messages or eating while driving.

Teenagers should be learning by the example their parents set. What’s even worse about this whole thing is that sometimes, parents are in the car when their kids are displaying that bad behavior like speeding, talking on the cell phone or fiddling with the CD player. The parents should make their kid pull over because they were not practicing safe driving behavior. Instead, many of them just let it go, teaching those teenagers that it is ok to continue those destructive behaviors.

Come on bad teenage drivers! You are giving the rest of us a bad name. Clean up your act and treat driving a car like the privilege that it is. And that is exactly what driving should be to a teenager – a privilege. Listen up parents! Be the grownup and take away the car keys if you have to … it is definitely better to have a mad teenager than a dead one.

Parents and Teens Both Get into the Safe Driving Groove

September 11, 2006

It is every teen’s dream to get that learner’s permit in their hand. After all, driving equates to freedom, doesn’t it? But let’s face it teenagers, we don’t know everything there is to know about driving a car. Did you know that car crashes are the leading cause of death in our age bracket? That’s a pretty scary thought!

The recent article in the Cincinnati Post about teen drivers is sort of eye-opening. Sure, we know to buckle our seat belts and make sure to use our turn signals and such. But who is going to really teach us about what to do if our brakes lock or how to get out of a dangerous skid? That is not exactly something our parents could or know how to teach us.

Yeah, they preach to us about safety on the road and tell us in theory how to get out of a dangerous driving situation, but until we actually experience it, all that talk is in one ear and out the other right? We humor the parents and we lead ourselves into a false sense of security. We think that those crashes will never happen to us. But the reality of it all is that we COULD be that next crash just waiting to happen.

Car manufacturer Toyota came up with a great driving awareness program called “Toyota Driving Expectations.” The catch is that we teenagers have to take the class with our parents! Now before all the grumbling starts, this class is quite an eye-opener for both us and the “adults.” They get put through their paces just as much as we do.

Each of us gets to experience our own driving courses; parents have different distractions thrown at them like ringing cell phones and fiddling with the radio, things we all do every day. Teenagers get to learn some defensive maneuvers and how to avoid crashes. Believe it or not, it’s interesting and fun to experience this stuff with your parents. We all learn something and have a better respect for each other’s driving abilities. And guess what? Parents will feel a little more secure and willing to let you drive!

Be sure to talk with them about the “Toyota Driving Expectations” program and visit the website at Toyota Teen Drive 365 to see if there is a class near you.

According to new scientific studies, the area of the brain that controls impulsive behavior doesn’t reach maturity until the age of 25. This has caused many people to reconsider the age that teens should be allowed to drive. Currently, many states allow teens as young as 16 the right to drive. However, statistics have proved that 16 year olds are dangerous drivers, have the highest auto related death rates, and more teens die while riding in vehicles driven by 16 year olds. What is interesting is that even though many parents and politicians feel that 16 is too young to drive, there is a certain degree of hesitancy when it comes to changing existing laws.

Some people look to the fact that many parents are tired of chaperoning their teens and look forward to the day when they can manage some of the responsibility of transportation themselves. But, ask any parent who has lost a child in a teen related auto crash, and they will quickly tell you that they would gladly chauffer their teen if it meant having their child back in their lives again.

Nearly all states have implemented changes that affect the way teens drive. Some of these changes include limiting the amount of passengers teens may have in the vehicle or decreasing the amount of time teens can drive alone. Nevertheless, though these rules have been put in place to help keep teens safe, they are frequently not enforced.

There is often a misconception behind the reasons why teens are involved in so many fatal crashes. The fatal crashes are often mistakenly blamed on alcohol or drugs. However, as current studies have shown, it is a matter of brain maturity, and not excessive teen drinking that contributes to the high rate of deaths associated with teen drivers.

When people put pressure on politicians to raise the drinking age, changes were made that ensured the drinking age would be 21. This has been a positive change that has undoubtedly saved many lives. Unfortunately, it seems that it may take more fatal crashes before politicians realize that the best way to protect teens from the dangers of driving is to similarly raise the driving age.

Read more driver education news in the Safe Driving Teen Monthly Bulletin. Each month the National Safety Commission publishes the bulletin for teens and parents designed to improve teen driver behavior, attitude, skills, and experience. Subscription Details

Will 16 Year Olds Lose Their Driving Privileges?

September 1, 2006

According to new scientific studies, the area of the brain that controls impulsive behavior doesn’t reach maturity until the age of 25. This has caused many people to reconsider the age that teens should be allowed to drive. Currently, many states allow teens as young as 16 the right to drive. However, statistics have proved that 16 year olds are dangerous drivers, have the highest auto related death rates, and more teens die while riding in vehicles driven by 16 year olds. What is interesting is that even though many parents and politicians feel that 16 is too young to drive, there is a certain degree of hesitancy when it comes to changing existing laws.

Some people look to the fact that many parents are tired of chaperoning their teens and look forward to the day when they can manage some of the responsibility of transportation themselves. But, ask any parent who has lost a child in a teen related auto accident, and they will quickly tell you that they would gladly chauffer their teen if it meant having their child back in their lives again.

Nearly all states have implemented changes that affect the way teens drive. Some of these changes include limiting the amount of passengers teens may have in the vehicle or decreasing the amount of time teens can drive alone. Nevertheless, though these rules have been put in place to help keep teens safe, they are frequently not enforced.

There is often a misconception behind the reasons why teens are involved in so many fatal accidents. The fatal accidents are often mistakenly blamed on alcohol or drugs. However, as current studies have shown, it is a matter of brain maturity, and not excessive teen drinking that contributes to the high rate of deaths associated with teen drivers.

When people put pressure on politicians to raise the drinking age, changes were made that ensured the drinking age would be 21. This has been a positive change that has undoubtedly saved many lives. Unfortunately, it seems that it may take more fatal accidents before politicians realize that the best way to protect teens from the dangers of driving is to similarly raise the driving age.