Parents can teach teen drivers the skills to survive
By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020
Staff Report
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nationwide in 2015, 1,972 drivers age 15-18 were involved in fatal collisions. In 2015, in California, 283 teens were behind the wheel at the time of fatal collisions, and 63 percent of those young drivers were at fault.
Teen Driver Safety Week in October promotes parents focusing attention on setting rules for their teen drivers before allowing them to get behind the wheel. Parents and guardians must set firm driving rules to shape their teen’s driving behavior, officials emphasized.
Inexperience is one of the leading causes of teen collisions. The most important thing a parent can do for a new teen driver is to stay involved in his or her driving life.
Deputies recommend taking frequent drives with newly licensed teens to monitor their progress. Parents can help reduce the dangerous and sometimes deadly behaviors, such as alcohol consumption, driving without seat belts, speeding, carrying extra passengers, and driving distracted.
“Cell phone use continues to be a serious and often deadly distraction for all drivers, but it’s a significant problem among young, inexperienced drivers,” said Rhonda Craft, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “If you’re a parent, guardian, or mentor to a teen driver, lead by example and encourage them to put the phone down and focus on the road.”
Programs for teen drivers and their families include: