Teen Driver Safety
Do you have a new driver in the family? It marks a time of new independence and new worries for parents.
There is sound reason for concern: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of teens, ahead of all other types of injury, violence or disease. In fact, every day, six teens are killed in a car crash.
But there is encouraging news, too. Our latest research report, made possible with support from the General Motors Foundation, explores the situations leading to teen car crashes and what some parents are doing that is making a difference.
New Research Report
The report, “Reducing Risks for Teen Drivers,” shares facts and insights gained from surveying teens and their parents directly.
The research specifically looks at risky behaviors like buckling up, texting, driving with teen passengers, speeding, drinking and driving in the dark.
We found that teens take fewer risks if they have a formalized agreement about driving rules, and if their parents are good role models and follow the rules themselves.
Here is an infographic that summarizes the highlights from the report.
Interactive Infographic
We’ve created a new interactive infographic that highlights 7 risky things teens do in cars, paired with 7 tips to keep them safe. Parents can use this tool to talk through risky behaviors with their teens and come to an agreement of acceptable behavior.
7 Tips to Driving Safely
- Buckle up: every person, every time
- Don’t drink and drive
- Limit the number of passengers in a car
- Don’t text and drive
- Follow the speed limit
- Only drive in the dark after extra practice
- Speak up when any driver is driving unsafely
Sample Agreement
Our study found that teens who had a formal agreement with their parents on acceptable behaviors while driving were less likely to engage in risky behavior. The CDC created a sample agreement that covers the leading cause of car crashes that you can download and use to start the discussion with your teen.
Graduated Drivers License
Each state has different laws surrounding Graduated Drivers Licensing for new teen drivers. To see what laws are in your state, check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Learn More
For all of the tips for teens, click here: http://bit.ly/1QWzKxc
