Tips For Teens to Drive Safely

Believe it or not a recent survey indicates that car accidents are the number one killer of teens. Research has shown the behavior and attitudes of teens can promote unsafe practices. Seventy five percent of teens appear to be tired behind the wheel. When driving with a passenger ninety percent of teens are distracted. Twenty percent of Juniors who are driving have been in an accident in the past year. Add this behavior with an uneducated teen driver and it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Here are some tips for safe driving:

Do not talk on a cell phone while driving. This increases your risk of an accident by four times the amount of other drivers. It is equal to driving while intoxicated. Other distractions can also increase the chances of a collision. Listening to an Ipod or other electronic devices, putting on make-up, eating while driving, or adjusting a cd player or stereo in the car can all increase your chances of a car crash.

Educate your teen for night driving. The mortality rate in night time accidents is three time greater than day time accidents. Make sure your windows and mirrors are all clean. Your depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are already lower from dusk on. At dusk make sure your car lights are turned on so oncoming traffic can see you better. Put more space between you and the cars ahead of you at night.

Reduce your speed. Speeding is the cause of one third of all fatal crashes, and most of this does not include the interstate. Only fourteen percent of fatalities caused by excess speed happen on the interstate. Speeding lessens the amount of time you have to avoid an accident, it increases the probability of a crash, and makes the accident more severe when it does happen. The harm to others or yourself as a result of speeding is not worth the time you save.

Educate your teen on driving safely. After school hours are nearly as fatal as weekend nights for teen drivers. Make sure all passengers are wearing their seatbelts. Make sure your teen follows local laws about teen passengers, including them catching a ride with another teen driver. The risk of an accident increases fifty percent for every teen passenger in the car. Be an example to your teen on safe driving, remember they are watching everything you do. Not only that, remember no accidents over a period of time means cheaper car insurance rates for those teenagers.