If you are like most parents, you want your children to stay young as long as they can, but as much as we want them to, eventually, our kids start growing up and they reach an age where they can drive. It might be scary knowing you have a child who is old enough to drive, but educating them on how to remain safe behind the wheel could ease that fear just a little.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2021, 2,608 people were killed in car accidents involving teen drivers. Fifty-one percent of teen drivers who died in accidents were not wearing a seatbelt. NHTSA states: “One thing is certain: teens aren’t ready to have the same level of driving responsibility as adults. Teen drivers have a higher rate of fatal crashes, mainly because of their immaturity, lack of skills, and lack of experience.”
If you have a new teen driver hitting the streets this year, we at The Prewitt Group and our partners at Auto-Owners offer tips for keeping teen drivers safe:
- Parents or guardians should establish the boundaries and ground rules for teen drivers.
- No passengers, especially other teenagers.
- No distractions! No texting, phone calls, eating or social media while behind the wheel.
- Talk to your child about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. They should never drive while under the influence.
- Follow the speed limit.
- Require your child to wear a seatbelt while driving.
- Set a curfew.
- Ensure they follow the traffic laws and signals.
- Consider having your teen sign a driving contract.
- Use an app to track your teen.
Other safety precautions you can take is purchasing a vehicle with safety precautions:
- Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
- Rear-view camera/360-degree camera
- Blind spot detection
- Lane departure warning (LDW)
- Lane-keeping system (LKS)
- Forward collision warning
Your teen driver will need to be added to your insurance. Contact one of our risk consultants today to add your teen driver to your auto policy. We wish you and your teen safe driving!