Do you push your teenage drivers to be the very best drivers they can be? You should, because your child's life is in danger.
Did you know that if a person is going to suffer an untimely death – the two most dangerous years of their life is their 16th and 17th? And the cause – driving.
Nichole Morris – a researcher at the University of Minnesota puts it simply: "Cars have gotten safer, roads have gotten safer, but teen drivers have not."
Approximately five hundred thousand teenagers report having a car accident annually (and many teenage accidents go unreported), resulting in hundreds of thousands of injuries and thousands of deaths. According to the CDC – an average of seven teenagers die each day in car accidents in America.
Yup – seven every day.
And some researchers estimate that one in four teenagers will be in a car accident within their first six months of driving.
What are the most significant risk factors for car accidents with these drivers?
There are primarily three …
- Driving with passengers in the car – particularly teenage passengers. And not surprisingly, boys driving other boys are far more likely to have a car accident than when boys are driving girls.
- Cell phones. Researchers installed cameras in the cars of teenage drivers to monitor driving behaviors. Know what they found? Even when kids knew they were being watched, they still used their cell phones to text, place calls, and check Instagram and Facebook at least once on every single trip they made – even if traveling only a very short distance.
- Alcohol and drugs. Almost one-third of all teenage drivers killed in a car accident were intoxicated at the time of the accident.
What can a parent do to protect their young drivers?
- Be involved while your child is learning to drive. Give them instructions, take them out driving under varying road conditions, and challenge them to really learn how to drive.
- Do not let them transport other teenagers at any time for the first six months driving and only siblings during the next six months. This rule is Connecticut law.
- Remind them that until they are 18 years of age, they may not use cell phones (even if hands-free) or other mobile electronic devices while driving. This rule includes any hand-held computers or other devices with a video display. It is against the law.
- Make sure their first car is well equipped with safety features if you can afford it.
- Don't let them drive after 9:00 PM or before 5:00 AM for at least the first six months. The law states that they may not drive between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM until they are 18 years old.
- Be a great example to your children. Don't text and drive, and don't ever drive when intoxicated.
If you or a loved one are ever in a car accident in Connecticut, know that the Connecticut car accident lawyers at RisCassi & Davis have been assisting people like you who've been injured in these accidents for over 65 years. And we have received both state and national recognition for our work in this area. If you are ever injured in an accident of any kind and would like a free consultation with one of our Connecticut injury lawyers, please contact us. There is no obligation.