New teen drivers sometimes make bad choices. Many want to talk to friends while driving the car. Or, they want to chat on a cell phone behind the wheel. Some are even texting while driving. Unskilled drivers not giving their undivided attention to the road are causing crashes, driving up insurance rates and some of the crashes are fatal.
Teens Enjoy Texting -- Even from behind the Wheel
"All too many teens are texting on their cell phones while driving and this can be a tragic mistake. Even taking your eyes off the road for a second can lead to a crash," said Eileen Buckholtz from Teen Driving.
Electronic gizmos and friends easily distract teen drivers. The National Safety Council reports that 44% of teen deaths in the US are caused by teen traffic crashes.
Teens Distracted While Driving
Shelter Insurance reported that text messaging is the number one distracting activity in a national survey completed by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). SADD asked more than 900 licensed teens from 26 high schools to tell what they thought was extremely or very distracting while driving.
Other reported distractions while driving from the teen survey:
- Eating or drinking
- Listening to music
- Using a cell phone
- Emotional state of driver
- Driving with one or several friends in the car
Young Male Passengers Distract Male and Female Teen Drivers
A study performed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development reported in its National Institutes of Health News in 2005 that teens are more likely to speed and tailgate if there was a male passenger in the front seat. Generally, teens drive 1.3 miles an hour faster than the traffic. In addition, when teen drivers have a male teen riding in the front seat, crash rates for 16 and 17 year-old drivers are higher.
Suggestions to Keep Young Drivers Safe on the Road
- Set driving limits with curfews – 10 p.m. is a good time for teens to park the car in the driveway
- Create a driving contract – If they break it, they lose the privilege to drive
- Teens must tell where they are driving at all times – If plans change, teens need to use the cell phone at a gas station or off the road
- Don’t allow teens to text message while driving – Some parents have the text messaging option turned off by the phone company
- Don’t allow teens to talk on the phone when driving – Parents can check phone bills to see if teens are talking when driving
- Model good driving behavior
Holding a driver's license for the first time is a right of passage in most of the country. New teen drivers are not skilled at handling unexpected problems, like a deer running across the road. Keep teens safe by giving them some freedom with guidance and “string attached.” These strings may save their lives.
Kellie Hayden - She is a 19 year veteran teacher with a master's degree in education and NBCT, 2000. Kellie teaches 8th grade language arts, TAG and ...
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