Tips to keep teen drivers safe and their premiums low
With school back in session, there are many more teens on the road just before and after school hours. If you have clients with a teen who has recently joined the ranks of new drivers, here’s some information you can share with them, to promote teenage driver safety.
Half of all teens are involved in a car crash before they graduate from high school, says the National Safety Council. Here’s another sobering statistic: having just one young passenger, such as when driving a sibling to school, increases their chances of a deadly crash by 44 percent.
Young drivers have the most crashes simply because they’re the least experienced. Judging distances between their and other vehicles, gaps in traffic when deciding whether or not to change lanes and choosing safe speeds are all skills acquired over time.
But before taking away the car keys from a teen out of fear for his or her safety, there are a few things parents can do to help their teen drive more carefully. State laws and drivers training courses are a huge help – but having household rules (“My house, my rules”) can help tremendously.
The National Safety Council suggested two aids for parents with teen drivers: a New Driver Contract and a Digital Driving Coach.
New Driver Deal
Basically a written contract between parent and teen driver, the New Driver Deal outlines rules for new teen drivers – and any consequences for breaking them. The rules include everything from always wearing a seatbelt and never using a phone or eating while driving, to not driving anyone else’s car without an adult’s permission or driving while upset or tired. A sample contract to download can be found here. This is a great start for parents to encourage teenage driver safety.
Digital Driving Coach
Weekly online driving tips and lessons can be delivered to parents’ email boxes from DriveitHOME.org. Each week a new lesson is provided that parents can practice with their teen driver. Remember: young drivers crash due to inexperience. So the more time parents invest, on an ongoing basis, with their new driver lessens their vulnerability to an auto accident.
Help parents encourage teenage driver safety and arm their teens with the best driving skills and experience possible, ensuring their back-to-school safety.