Keeping our teen drivers safe

Any parent of a teenager will tell you “they know everything,” whether it’s about politics, climate change, fashion, gun safety or even driver safety, every teen thinks they know it all.

As we get ready for the 12th annual Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 20-26, here are a few statistics parents can talk with their teens about when it comes to climbing behind the wheel.

In 2017 there were 3,255 fatal crashes which involed teen drivers.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teens.

Texting increases a teen’s crash risk by 23 times.

Speed was a factor in 32 percent of fatal teen crashes.

A majority of teen in fatal crashes were not buckled in and 58 percent of their passengers weren’t either.

Fifty-five percent of teens killed were in cars driven by another teen driver.

As parents, there are teaching moments every day when it comes to our young people. Being a role model when it comes to vehicle safety is one of the easiest things to do.

Make sure you buckle your seatbelt every trip, even if its just across town to pick up groceries. Your children see you buckle up and it becomes an automatic thing they remember, even when they are teens and begin driving on their own.

Its natural for young people to push boundaries and we’ve all done it when we were young. Speeding is one of those boundaries. Adult drivers with more experience behind the wheel can drive faster sometimes, but its not a good idea when children or teens are in the car.

Remember, they mimic what they see and if mom and dad are laughing or bragging about speeding, chances are, when they get behind the wheel they’ll be more apt to think of speeding as a challenge or something fun rather than a dangerous thing.

Talking to your teens early, and often, about the dangers of drinking and driving are a must.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, drivers under the age of 21 are 17 times more likely to experience a fatal car crash after drinking. And high school students drink and drive approximately 2.4 million times each month.

Texting and driving accounts for 14 percent of all teen motor vehicle crash fatalities and every day it is estimated that 660,000 drivers use their cell phone behind the wheel.

Nearly 5,000 teen crashes in 2018 can be attributed to cell phone use while driving. Reiterate to your teens that no phone call or text message is worth their life or the lives of their friends who may be in the car with them.

And speaking of friends in the car, distracted driving accounts for nearly 300 teen driving deaths each year. Loud music, loud friends and eating while driving are all considered distracted driving, any of which can slow your reaction time considerably.