Warnings are created to protect us from potential danger, however when it comes to safe driving, many drivers don’t take warnings seriously. Unfortunately, it usually takes a car crash to get the attention of an individual to show how quickly accidents can happen when a driver takes their attention off the road for a second. And often these drivers, especially teen drivers, don’t get a second chance due to a fatality.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens between the ages of 16-19. The year you get your drivers license is the most dangerous year of your life,said John Luckily, Group V.P.Strategic Initiatives National Safety Council. The number of 16 year old who died in a car crash is greater than any other age from any other injury.
1 in 5 teenagers is in some sort of car crash in their first 6 months of driving, according to Research Scientist, Charlie Klauer, Ph.D of Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Her research shows it is the teenagers lack of experience to detect hazards in the environment that impacts their crash rate.
For teens to gain the valuable experience to stay safe during those first critical months Experts agree that Parents need to get involved and communicate the dangers of driving and place limits on their teen driver.
Parents- You are Still in the Drivers Seat
To give teen drivers an edge parents can install an electronic driving coach device in the vehicle that will offer feedback for the teen driver to see where they are making mistakes. It could make the difference during their first months of learning how to drive. When a teenager does something risky in the vehicle it triggers the data collection to start.
Studies show that teens understanding the mistakes made is key to learning safe driving habits, according to Tina Brunetti Sayer, Ph.D Principal Human Factors Engineer at Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center.
The point is to have the parent and teen sit down together and go over the collected data. The parent can see the actual video and suggest safer driving techniques. Tying the program to incentives and consequences is also important to its success.
Low score of 0 can mean a gift card but a high score due to risky behavior can mean suspension of driving privileges and even the dreaded parental escort to school.
Best things parents can do to help their teenager become safe drivers is to spend a lot of time with their teenager driving and focus on specific situations that lead to crashes.
 Watch the video below to learn more about an electronic driving coach device.
When you or a family member has been involved in a car accident your life stops and then changes from that day forward. The lawyers at Schibell Law have the experience one needs when faced with a life changing situation. Call 732-774-1000 when you need the guidance of an experienced law firm.
