Teen drivers at a higher risk for car accidents
AAA is asking parents to pay more attention to traffic safety for their teens during summertime. .
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, more teen drivers are killed in car accidents than any other time of the year with the 10 deadliest days for teens occurring during these months.
“Parents should not underestimate the critical role they play in keeping their teens safe, especially during these high-risk months,” said Brad Roeber, AAA Chicago regional president, in the press release. “Life feels more care-free when school’s out and teens have more opportunities to drive or ride in cars late at night with other teens – a deadly mix."
In the summer months 2005 and 2009, over 7,00 teen drivers and their passengers were killed car accidents. On average 422 teens are killed in traffic accidents during the summer compare to 363 during other times of the year.
AAA provides the tips below for parents with teen drivers:
Don't let your teens drive just drive. Make sure they have a purpose, a destination. Teen drivers are 3x's more likely to have a fatal accidents based on how many miles they driver. They have the highest risk during their first year of driving alone.
Become an effective driving coach: By supervising their teen drivers, parents can impart skills and experience. Even after your teen gets their license, parents should still practice with them.
Limit the number of teen passengers and time as a passenger: Most states have restrictions on the number of passengers new teen drivers can have in their cars. But if you're state does not, you need to limit the number of people in the car with your teen driver. Other kids in the car can be a huge distraction for a new driver, which can endanger their lives as well as the lives of their passengers.
Restrict night driving: New teen drivers need more practice with night time driving. Keep their night time driving to a minimum until they are able to accumulate more hours behind the wheel.
