Keeping Your New Driver Safe on the Road
If you’re ready to turn the car keys over to an eager teen, it’s quite possible your mind is teeming with questions and concerns about safety and how to protect your teen: Will my teen be a safe driver? How can I protect my teen against reckless drivers? How can I prevent them from using their phone while driving? What’s the safest car my teenager can drive? Rest assured, there are a number of ways you can help prepare, protect and guide your son or daughter so they never have a car accident as a teen driver.
What’s a Parent to Do?
Teen drivers often underestimate the dangers of the road and need to be reminded about how to avoid them, as well as how to react when they face them. As a proactive parent, you can reinforce important road rules with your teen regularly to help ensure his or her safety.
8 Reminders For New Drivers
- Keep both hands on the wheel, and eyes on the road
- Never text and drive
- Never drink and drive
- Follow hands-free laws (in Connecticut, teens under 18 may not use mobile devices even if hands-free)
- Always wear a seatbelt and make passengers wear theirs
- Obey all speed limits, and slow down if you feel it isn’t safe
- Follow all passenger and curfew laws
- Always have important emergency road contact information available
3 Safety Tips for the Proactive Parent
Teaching your teen how to avoid dangerous driving habits, as well as how to be prepared if an accident occurs, are essential to ensuring your teen is aware, prepared, and not scared of the road.
Keep An Eye On Your New Driver To Prevent Distracted Driving
Install a driving app or cell phone GPS to track your teen’s location and driving habits. A few are EverDrive, State Farm’s Steer Clear, Teen Safe Driver by American Family Insurance, and LifeSaver – all with above average to strong reviews.
Buy The Right Car For Your Son or Daughter
If buying a new car for your teen, look for vehicles with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), a technology that helps the driver maintain control of a vehicle in unstable conditions. You can also refer to this list for a few suggestions.
Know What To Do If Your Teen Is In A Minor Accident
If your teenager is in a minor accident, it is still important that he or she knows what to do – when to stay in or get out of the car, using emergency flashers, etc. Accidents are scary, so go over an accident checklist for your teen just in case.
Facing Facts About Teen Drivers
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), parental concerns about teen driving safety are rightly justified. The teen crash rate is higher than adult crash rates even though teenagers drive less than most age groups. Statistics on police-reported crashes of all severities show that the crash rate for 16 – 19-year-olds is about three times the rate for drivers 20 and older, with the highest risk at age 16. Contributing factors include negligent and distracted driving and driving under the influence.
Protect Your Teen After An Accident And Call Today
If you have any questions about your son or daughters accident or what your next step should be, please contact us toll-free at (860) 346-2695. The car accident attorneys at the Flood Law Firm have been helping Connecticut families for over 30 years and are here to help in times of need.
