Keeping Your Teen Driver Safe

by Lea Tyrrell

There's no doubt that one of the most exciting moments of our teenage years is getting our driver's license.  It means freedom, independence, and really feeling like an adult for the first time.

But, sadly, that thrilling milestone also puts teenagers in the most life-threatening position of their lives.  According to the National Safety Council, driving or riding in a motor vehicle is the most dangerous activity a teen can do - with car crashes accounting for 36% of all deaths between the ages of 16 and 24.

Why?  Mostly inexperience.  They're most at risk in the first 12 to 24 months of driving.  And the two most dangerous conditions, because they are so inexperienced, is driving with passengers, and driving at night.  Unfortunately, we have seen those two conditions, both alone and together, take young Long Island lives.

AAA New York says there's even more that can distract teen drivers.  Here are their 10 Deadly Teen Driver Mistakes.

SPEED * PEER PRESSURE * OVERCONFIDENCE      

DUI * RISK TAKING * CELL PHONES

LATE NIGHT CRUISING * ROWDY RIDERS

CD PLAYER * UN-BUCKLED

The statistics are so grim that a number of organizations are offering programs aimed at making teenage drivers safer drivers.  The most important component of every one of them is parental involvement.   Parents need to know what situations put their young driver most at risk, everything from what time of day they're driving to what type of car they're driving. 

Sit down and talk to your kids about the dangers of driving the same way you sit down and talk to them about anything else that can harm them.  There are a lot of sources out there that can help you do that.  The National Safety Council puts out A Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety.  It also developed the Alive at 25 Parent Program, a 3-hour course for parents that gives them a clear understanding of the risks their young drivers face and how to help them make the right decisions to become safe and responsible drivers.  AAA New York offers the Start Smart program. 

And some new driving programs are popping up that go way beyond Driver's Ed.  They're designed to give teens a "hands-on" driving experience in real world situations.  In a one-day course, trained instructors teach your kids in the very same car they'll drive everyday.  This way they get to know the vehicle's handling limits and how they can control them.  Check out the website for one program called Street Survival for more information.  To watch a Street Survival session, click here.

Suffolk Police just wrapped up a similar program here on Long Island.  They've offered it for the past three years.  They call it a "Crash Course in Crash Avoidance."  Last year about 140 kids participated in the program.

Here's some great advice from the National Safety Council:

No one regulation or procedure, Driver Education program, state law, or extended supervised practice can, by itself, make your teen a safer driver.  There's no silver bullet.  Only a combination of practice, gradual exposure to higher risk situations, and ongoing parental involvement, can reduce a teen's chance of crashing.

Comments

[getosama]

i live right off of rt. 347 and it's like a racetrack for all ages- the adults sure need some programs, too.