Summer is here and young drivers are out of school and on the road in droves heading from place to place. Insurance Doctor encourages parents to talk their children about driver safety on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading causes of car crashes involving teens include driver inexperience, risk-taking behavior, high risk situations such as inclement weather, alcohol and drug use, not wearing a safety belt and distractions in the car. Texting is just one of many distractions for drivers on the road. Other distractions include:
Answering cell phone calls
Listening to loud music
Talking to and interacting with passengers
Eating while driving
Putting on make-up while driving
Reading maps or changing information on a GPS
Partners for Safe Teen Driving is a community health initiative whose objective is to reduce the incidences of teenage automobile crashes, injuries and fatalities in Virginia. The organization works through schools and communities increasing awareness and educating both parents and children about the dangers of distracted driving and other causes of teen accidents. As a parent, take a look at this website, http://www.safeteendriving.org/, and learn ways in which you can talk to and educate your young driver about driving safely and the dangers of distracted driving.
