An important milestone in any teenager’s life is receiving their driver’s license.  A driver’s license symbolizes freedom and independence for many teens in the United States.  It’s also exciting for the parents because they no longer have to drive their child around to friends’ houses and events anymore.  

There are many benefits to teens being able to drive but one of the most important issues is teen distracted driving especially when it comes to teens texting and driving.  Teenagers are so wrapped up in their social lives and technology that it is sometimes difficult for them to forget about the importance of the road.  It’s easy for teenagers to take their eyes off the road, which is why teaching your children the correct driving skills and driver training is important.

Teen Driving Statistics

Have you ever wondered, how many teens die daily from texting and driving?  The number might shock you.  Well, believe it or not roughly about 10-12 teenagers on average die from a tragic car accident due to texting and driving every single day.  Every year there are roughly 300,000 or more car accidents caused by texting and driving.  

So, why is texting and driving a problem for teens?  Well, it is mainly due to experience.  Most drivers will sometimes use their cell phones behind the wheel which regardless if you are the best driver in the world, can be extremely dangerous.  Mix that with the inexperience of a young teenage driver and you got a recipe for disaster.  

The reason that texting and driving is a problem is due to the fact that multi-tasking inevitably slows your brain down.  This causes your reaction time to decrease, which makes driving extremely dangerous.  When driving, you always need to be ready to stop or react to anything from a stop sign, braking vehicle, or stoplight.  

Teen Driving Rules

Luckily, there are a lot of rules and laws in place to help teen drivers on the road and prevent them from being distracted or using their cell phones.  Every state in the United States has different laws and regulations in place for teen driving.  

Teen driving laws made by each state government is put in place to help teenagers become used to driving, but it’s always best for parents to set “house” rules for their children to follow by talking to your teenager about what is expected of them when it comes to the privilege of driving.  

Setting a teen driving curfew is also a great way in keeping your teenager safe on the roads late at night, and some states even enforce this as a law.  17-year-old drivers shouldn’t be out driving past 11 pm at night, because this is the prime time for accidents to occur from drunk drivers, or animals running into the road.  

Teen Driving Tips

An inexperienced young teenage driver should always pay attention to the roads and never become distracted from the radio, cell phone, others in the vehicle, or anything else.  Distracted driving can be dangerous.  Teen safe driving is important to keeping our youth safe, so always tell your teen to buckle up, hang up, and slow down.  

A tip for parents is to purchase a vehicle that has the latest safety features instead of buying an old and cheap car.  Having a vehicle with low mileage and advanced safety features will reassure your teenager, and yourself.  

Always teach your child to pay attention to the weather before driving.  Teaching your child how to handle hydroplaning and flooding is important to keep them safe and secure. Even when your child has their driver’s license, it never hurts to take them on a teen driving lesson to teach them some extra tips and tricks that you have learned over the years.   

Teen Driving Assistance

In the event that your teenager does have a mechanical breakdown, or ends up on the side of the road it’s always best to have some form of emergency roadside assistance.  This will relieve a lot of stress from you, and your teenager in the event that something bad happens to the vehicle.  A better option is to have a 24-hour roadside assistance program on stand-by, just in-case you are at work or unable to help your teenager out yourself. Roadside service can also help your teenager with fuel delivery which is a common occurrence among teens.

Before your teen gets behind the wheel, teach them how to use the roadside assistance program that you purchased.  That way they feel confident and prepared to handle any situation.  Having an extended auto warranty along with the best roadside assistance program will also help you avoid any financial headache that might be caused by your teenager’s driving.  Always teach your teenager to DriveSmart to keep your family members safe! 

Written by: Stephen Lubas