Help and information for teen driving“What we need to look at are ways to teach youngsters how to drive safely rather than just how to pass the test” – Dave Rogers, road safety advisor for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
If you are reading this page on teen driving, you're probably either a young driver who has some problems with driving or a concerned parent. We are all teenagers at some stage in our lives and many of us do have some very close shaves driving. Facts speak for themselves when you consider that teen driving results in 3 times more fatal accidents than all other drivers. The crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive. This is mainly because young people tend to take bigger risks without forethought. It's also because passing a driving test does not mean someone instantly becomes a highly skilled driver with excellent judgment. Driving skills continue to be learnt throughout life. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death amongst 15 – 20 year olds. Lack of experience and higher risk taking is a lethal combination. This is not to suggest that all teenagers are bad drivers, just that it takes time to develop good driving skills and judgment. Below are some of the key areas to focus on in order to help and improve teen driving safety. PassengersIt is so easy to be influenced when out driving with friends at this age and take unnecessary risks.
Research shows that teenage drivers are more than twice as likely to be killed when they have a passenger in the car and that risk increases to make a crash 3 to 5 times more likely when there are multiple passengers. The best thing to do is try to concentrate and focus on driving and what is happening outside the car. Things will happen very quickly and unexpectedly when driving. Seat BeltsCompared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use.According to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration, “Teens have the highest fatality rate in Motor Vehicle crashes than any other age group.” “…one key reason…is that they have lower safety belt use rates than adults.” There is no reason not to wear a seat belt. They protect life and are not even uncomfortable so remember to put them on. Also reminding passengers in the back and front could save theirs and your life. Remember if someone in the back doesn't wear a seat belt their likely to hit the people in the front in a serious collision. Under The InfluenceAt all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens than for older drivers.Drinking or drug taking will impair judgment and make an accident way more likely. Not drinking or doing drugs and driving is the best way to avoid becoming another teen driving statistic! Other CausesCell phone use, drowsy driving and nighttime driving.These are all well known facts effecting not just teen driving. They can all be extremely dangerous as they take away vital concentration and the ability to focus on the driving. General AdviceEveryone is different. If you're a teenager and have been there and thought to yourself 'that was close', take a read in the driving techniques, safe driving tips sections on this site to get some good advice on how to handle different driving situations.Taking extra driving courses like advanced driver will also give added appreciation and understanding about driving. Those courses are fun too! Track days are another great way for building up skills and driver judgment. Picking a car with good handling characteristics will also make a big difference. Unfortunately quite often our first cars are the cheapest and oldest, however you can still get good deals on robust second hand cars. Take a look at the car safety section where there are links to crash test stats for various vehicles. ParentsIt’s a fact; you can’t be with your child everywhere and protect them from everything. I hope that some of the advice above on teen driving, such as extra advanced driving courses, track days and making sure the cars they drive are safe is helpful.If all else fails, there are also tracking devices that can be installed in the car to help you monitor how your teenager is handling this new responsibility. Many vehicle tracking devices track speed and can even monitor seat belt usage. It's unlikely to be popular with your son or daughter, but it could just make the difference to their driving. This would be one way you could have some lasting influence when you're not with them. They may not like you for it at the time but might just thank you for it later on in life. Additional advanced and defensive driving courses do make a difference to a teenagers driving attitude. They will be taught by someone with authority who generally has many years of advanced driving experience, like an ex police traffic officer. The courses are very enjoyable and varied. Most importantly, in relation to teen driving these courses can change attitudes towards driving. They teach you driving skills which make you a confident and balanced driver. A very good time for these lessons would be just after your teenager has passed his or her driving test. It is also possible to get reduced insurance prices when you hold an advanced drivers certificate.
|
