10/22/2015
Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens aged 15-19 in America? In 2013 alone, 2,614 passenger vehicle teen drivers were involved in fatal crashes.
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Parents can change those numbers by talking to their teens about road risks. Many parents assume their teenagers won’t listen, or think that their teens are hearing about these life-saving rules somewhere else, such as school.
This October 18-24 is Teen Driver Safety Week. At Integrity Insurance we want to shine a light on this topic and remind parents to talk to their teen drivers about the risks they face while driving. In order to provide parents with the tools, resources, and words they need to keep their teens safe, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has teamed up with state and local highway safety and law enforcement organizations on the teen driver safety campaign “5 to Drive”. The education and awareness campaign identifies the five most important rules all teen drivers need to follow.
Parents need to start talking to their teens about the “5 to Drive,” and make certain teens understand the rules before they hit the road:
1. No Drinking and Driving. Compared with other age groups, teen drivers are at a greater risk of death in alcohol-related crashes, even though they’re too young to legally buy or possess alcohol. Nationally in 2013, almost one out of five (19 percent) of the teen drivers (15 to 19 years old) who were involved in fatal crashes had been drinking.
2. Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. Front Seat and Back. Teens aren’t buckling up, and neither are their passengers. In 2013, 64 percent of all the young (13- to 19-year-old) passengers of teen drivers who died in motor vehicle crashes weren’t restrained. When the teen driver was also unrestrained, the number of all passengers unrestrained increased to almost 90 percent.
3. Put It Down. One Text or Call Could Wreck It All. In 2013, among teen drivers involved in fatal crashes, 11 percent were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group had the highest proportion of drivers distracted by phone use. That same year 318 people were killed in crashes that involved a distracted teen driver.
4. Stop Speeding Before It Stops You. In 2013, almost one-third (29 percent) of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were speeding.
5. No More Than One Passenger at a Time. Extra passengers for a teen driver can lead to disastrous results. Research shows that the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of teens in a car. The likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.
Starting a conversation about the risks teens will face on the road isn’t just smart, it’s necessary. The “5 to Drive” campaign helps parents give their teens the tools they need to drive safely.
For more information about Teen Driver Safety Week and the “5 to Drive” campaign click here.
Article courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.