Insurance Information Institute reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading causes of death among teenage drivers. According to Frederick J. Geonetta, dangers face young drivers which include lack of experience, speeding, tailgating and texting.
Some recent developments from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety:
– Every state now has graduated drivers’ license laws, which separate driving into three phases and allow teen drivers to gain more experience.
-The death rate fell 68 percent for 16-year-old drivers from 1996 to 2010.
-The risk of 16- or 17-year-old drivers being killed in a crash increases with each additional teen passenger. With one passenger, the risk increases 44 percent, with two, it doubles, and with three or more, it quadruples.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reported an update on crashes involving teen drivers:
-Of those drivers aged 15 to 20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes, 30 percent had been drinking some amount of alcohol, and 25 percent were alcohol-impaired, with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.
-In 2010, 54 percent, or 1,532, of the 2,814 occupants of passenger vehicles age 16 to 20 who were killed in crashes were not buckled up.
Parents need to be responsible role models. While a teen is learning to drive, give them plenty of practice driving at different times of day, different roads and in different weather conditions. Should any further questions arise, talk to Babcock Partners.
Parents need to discuss the dangers of drinking and driving and texting while driving also aware of the risk of driving with other teens who may be breaking the rules.
