june 1-7 is national teen driving safety month...
according to the national safety council, traffic crashes are the number one cause of teen deaths. the top factors contributing to those deaths, inexperience, speeding, cell phone use, texting and alcohol. here are a few tips to help you keep yourself aware and your teen safe...
require your teen to wear a seat belt and be prepared to bring down tough punishment for breaking the rule. seat belts are the single best injury preventer available.
seems like a no brainer, but NO cell phones while driving. eliminate as many distractions as possible...so make your teen aware of radio surfing and playlist changes on the iPod...and how that takes their eyes and mind off the road.
take your happy pills...and spend time, lots of time, with your kid driving. experience is priceless. and practicing in the real world with real situations will provide your teen with invaluable experience to handle situations. experience is a skill builder.
set a zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and decide before the drivers license what the punishment will be and make it very clear.
know who your teen driver is planning on taking along and keep the numbers low. the more people in the car, the higher the incidence of distraction and thus, the more accident occurrence.
set a curfew...and stick to it. teens driving at night with passengers are 4 to 5 times more likely to crash than those driving alone during the day.
and finally, do what you say and say what you do. your example speaks far louder than your words.
danyele @ a thorn among roses
Great blog!! I have two teens that are preparing to drive. My son points out things that drivers do that are dangerous *smile* so it give me a little peace of mind knowing he at least is aware of these potentially dangerous driving habits.
ReplyDeleteAnne ^i^
my daughter just received her permit in the past month. thanks for the great tips!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG, now I know I've turned into my mother! Seriously - teen drivers should have to drive fluorescent colored vehicles. I have a dim view of them driving from dusk onward. I have a dimmer view of the male of the species driving before age 25...And I have zero tolerance for minor children driving other minor children places. See, I told you...I sound like my mother did when I was 16.....YIKES!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips thanks for posting. I am the mother of a 15 year old who wil be getting his permit soon. SCARY! I now know how my parents must have thought so many years ago!
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