Hey teens: This one’s for you!
Teens – your parents play an important role in helping you take smart steps to stay safe on the road, but ultimately it’s up to you to make the right decisions behind the wheel. The following six tips will help you be a safer driver and are a good starting point in your driver education.
No drinking and driving
If you are under age 21, it’s illegal for you to drink alcohol and it’s illegal for you to drive after drinking alcohol. Did you know that in 2015, one out of every five teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking? Remember that alcohol and drugs, illegal or prescription, impair driving and have deadly consequences.
Buckle up – every trip, every time; everyone – front seat and back
Seat belts are designed to keep you safe, whether you’re sitting in the front or back seat. But in 2015, there were 531 passengers killed in vehicles driven by teens and over half of those passengers who died were NOT buckled up at the time of the fatal crash. Even more troubling, in 84 percent of cases when the teen driver was unbuckled, the passengers were also unbuckled. Before you start driving, buckle your seat belt. It’s a simple task that could save your life.
Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel – all the time
It’s tempting to answer a text or check your social media accounts while driving, but those few seconds that you take your eyes off the road could be your last. In 2015, among teen passenger-vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes, 10 percent were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. If you think that your cell phone is your only distraction, you’re wrong – other passengers, audio and climate controls, or eating or drinking while driving are all examples of dangerous distracted driving.
Follow the posted speed limit
Speed limits aren’t just suggestions, they are there to keep you safe. In 2015, almost one-third (29 percent) of teen passenger-vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash. Remember to always drive within the speed limit, it could be what saves you from a deadly crash.
Passengers
Driving your friends to school may seem like a good idea, but it’s not. According to data analyzed by NHTSA, teen drivers were 2.5 times more likely to engage in one or more potentially risky behaviors when driving with one teenage peer, when compared to driving alone. The likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behaviors triples when driving with multiple passengers.
Avoid driving tired
Everyone is busy studying, participating in extracurricular activities and keeping up with friends. For many teens, the easiest thing to skimp on is the thing they need the most: sleep. This is a dangerous habit that can lead to driving drowsy. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep – your grades, your friends, your passengers and other drivers will thank you because you’ll be a safer driver.
We know you are probably hearing a lot of messages from your parents about completing homework or walking the dog, but the message about safe driving could save you and your friends' lives. There’s a reason your parents are so strict when it comes to you getting behind the wheel. Surveys show teens whose parents set firm rules for driving typically engage in less risky driver behaviors and are involved in fewer crashes.
Now that you have the information to be a safe driver, be sure to follow these six simple rules every time you get behind the wheel.