Although we made it past the warmer months where teen driving accidents were at its peak, car accidents are still the number one cause of death for those between the ages of 15-18 annually. National Teen Driver Safety Week occurs on the third week of October each year. Now is the time to review the safety tips for our teen drivers.
Kids Will be Kids
This famous parental phase does not always help as kids get older. Receiving a driver’s license is the first big responsibility for a teenager. Parental responsibility is a crucial aspect in how you shape your teen’s driving habits. If you tend to be a distracted driver, then your teen will likely be one too. As another saying goes monkey see, monkey do. Let us reduce their chances of being in a car accident by showing them what not to do on the road.
The prefrontal cortex is the section of the brain that determines judgement. However, this part does not fully develop until we are in our twenties. We need to inform our teen drivers that they should never drive if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, nor should they get in a car with a driver who is either. Tell them to order an Uber or Lyft home, or make sure they have a designated sober driver. Even if a driver is exhausted, the foggy mindset is equivalent to if they were not sober, so please keep that in mind.
At Troy Insurance, we want the best for our teen drivers. One car accident from a teen can cause a tremendous peak in your insurance rate. As role models, we need to set boundaries and show them the correct rules of the road at all times.
To read more about National Teen Driver Safety Week, please check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Association here.
