If you have a teen driver (or more than one!) in the house, then we know you are already concerned about their safety when they are out on the road. No matter how many times you instruct your kids on driving safety, you wonder if they are really taking it in, if they are following your guidance when you aren’t in the car with them, and if they are truly good and safe drivers.
Even on your best day driving, you may be involved in a car accident because some things are unavoidable and not your fault. The same things can happen to your kids. But, we want them to be as safe as possible. You have probably all heard the term “defensive driving.” It is probably the best thing we can teach our kids. No matter how well they are driving, they must be looking out for everyone around them at all times.
Teen Car Accident Stats
What are the actual biggest dangers out there for teen drivers? According to the National Safety Council, half of all teen drivers will be involved in a car accident prior to high school graduation. Yikes! While it’s not inevitable, your teen being involved in a car accident is certainly a possibility. Additionally, according to the National Safety Council, car accidents ARE the number one cause of death for teenagers. That is a heartbreaking statistic as many of those accidents are probably avoidable.
As you may have guessed, according to www.enddd.org (End Distracted Driving.org), the majority of teen crashes are due to distractions. Let’s be honest. It isn’t hard to distract a teenager. If your child already has issues with focus and attention, then this issue may be heightened. There is a multitude of distractions for your teen.
Other Passengers in the Car
Friends in the car can be a major distraction. We highly suggest that you don’t allow your child to drive with friends in the car until they have a good amount of driving experience. Turning around and talking to friends in the backseat, having their mind on a conversation and not on the road, or light horseplay like hitting or poking all take your teen driver’s attention off the road and their task of driving.
Texting and Driving
What most teen drivers (and many adults) fail to realize is how far their car travels when their eyes are off the road for only a few seconds. It is much easier to rear-end another car than many people realize. They may think reading a short text is harmless when, in fact, they may end up smashed into the car in front of them.
We cannot emphasize enough how dangerous cell phone use is while driving. For adults with kids old enough to drive, you probably remember a time when cell phones didn’t exist. There was one less distraction for you as a driver. When it comes to driving, cell phones pose huge problems! They are great to have on hand for directions or calling someone in an emergency. Aside from that, they only provide distractions! Even talking while driving is distracting because your mind is elsewhere and not fully engaged in the act of driving.
At Nance Cacciatore Law, we have seen the results of far too many teen driving accidents. We understand that the teen is not always at fault. There are plenty of distracted drivers on the road, including adults. We hope that your teen is never involved in a car accident, but if he or she is, then please give us a call. We are personal injury lawyers that specialize in car crashes, boat accidents, truck and motorcycle accidents, and wrongful deaths in the Melbourne, FL area. Our team of Brevard County attorneys wants to make sure your child receives all the medical care and compensation that he or she deserves.
