One of the most anticipated rites of passage for teens is getting a
driver’s license. It is your first taste of independence and it means
getting around with greater convenience. But with the right to drive
comes the responsibility of being a driver.
Teen Drivers
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), teens and young adults have the most accidents with automobile
fatalities being the leading cause of death in people ages 16 to 21.
This is due in part to driving inexperience but there are other factors
that play a major role in the accident-prone driving habits of teens.
Impulsivity,
peer pressure, alcohol and drug use, speeding, reckless driving and
thrill seeking behavior are all major factors in the higher accident
rates among teens. Teen drivers don't have to live up to the statistics.
Teens can learn safe driving habits.
Follow the Rules When You Drive
Graduated licensing programs have been shown to benefit teen drivers.
Graduated licensing programs put restrictions on new drivers for a
probationary period. The probationary period can be months or years
depending on where you live.
After the probationary period new drivers
can apply to remove these restrictions by proving that they are good
drivers. This usually involves having a clean driving record during the
probationary period and passing another road test.
NHTSA studies
have shown that new drivers are easily distracted and that teens are
more likely to engage in risky behavior when in a group. For these
reasons many jurisdictions have put limits on the number of passengers
new drivers can carry.
Driving in extreme weather or in the dark
can also be daunting for newer drivers so some jurisdictions do not
allow new drivers to drive under these conditions.
All
jurisdictions have a zero tolerance policy toward driving while
impaired. During the probationary period the legal limit is
zero-point-zero meaning you can’t have any alcohol in your system when
you drive.
Breaching any one of these rules can cost you your driver's license.
Slow Down
This
one may seem like a no-brainer but teens are more likely than any other
age group to feel the need for speed. For teens speeding and drag
racing are cheap thrills. Combine this with the rush of excitement we
all feel when doing something new and the results can be deadly.
Teen
brains simply do not process actions and consequences with the same
level of acuity as the adult brain. As a result teens often don’t think
about what could go wrong, they get caught up in the excitement of the
moment. By slowing down and obeying posted speed limits you
significantly reduce your chances of being in an accident.
Buckle Up
Always
wear your seat belt and insist that your passengers do the same. Using a
seat belt may seem like a simple way to avoid serious injury but a
surprising number of people, not just teens, don’t strap in before they
drive.
Don’t believe the urban myths that seat belts can actually hurt
you. The number of people who have been harmed by seat belts is nothing
compared to the hundreds of thousands of people saved by them each and
every year. So take no more passengers than you have seat belts for in
your car and make sure they all buckle up before you take to the road.
Don’t Take Too Many Passengers
Keep
the number of people in your car to a minimum. If you live in an area
that has passenger restrictions for new drivers strictly adhere to the
legislated number of people you can have in your car.
Studies by both the NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration
have shown that teens become more reckless behind the wheel when they
are in a larger group. When there are lots of people in the car teens
have been shown to be more likely to speed, to allow unlicensed peers to
drive, to drive while intoxicated, to take passengers without seat
belts or allow people to sit on other passenger’s laps. Peer pressure
almost always plays a role in street racing and other car games played
by teens.
Never Drive Impaired
Never drive while under the
influence of alcohol, prescription or street drugs, or over the counter
medications. This is the gold standard of safe driving rules but lots of
people out there still don’t seem to get it. Driving under the
influence is asking for trouble.
Teens are not the only offenders when
it comes to driving impaired but their lack of driving experience make
the risks that much greater. Couple this with the fact that when teens
drink and drive they are more likely to take passengers and it’s a
recipe for multi-victim disaster.
Driving impaired is never a good
idea no matter how old you are, how much you think you can handle and
how many people are counting on you to get home. The fact that your
friends are counting on you for a ride home is never a reason to drive
drunk. When you need to drive others home you should not to drink at
all. Don’t be a driver if you think you are going to drink.
How to
Stay Safe on the Road One of the most anticipated rites of passage for
teens is getting a driver’s license. It is your first taste of
independence and it means getting around with greater convenience. But
with the right to drive comes the responsibility of being a driver.
Teen Drivers
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), teens and young adults have the most accidents with automobile
fatalities being the leading cause of death in people ages 16 to 21.
This is due in part to driving inexperience but there are other factors
that play a major role in the accident-prone driving habits of teens.
Impulsivity,
peer pressure, alcohol and drug use, speeding, reckless driving and
thrill seeking behavior are all major factors in the higher accident
rates among teens. Teen drivers don't have to live up to the statistics.
Teens can learn safe driving habits.
Follow the Rules When You Drive
Graduated licensing
programs have been shown to benefit teen drivers. Graduated licensing
programs put restrictions on new drivers for a probationary period. The
probationary period can be months or years depending on where you live.
After
the probationary period new drivers can apply to remove these
restrictions by proving that they are good drivers. This usually
involves having a clean driving record during the probationary period
and passing another road test.
NHTSA studies have shown that new
drivers are easily distracted and that teens are more likely to engage
in risky behavior when in a group. For these reasons many jurisdictions
have put limits on the number of passengers new drivers can carry.
Driving
in extreme weather or in the dark can also be daunting for newer
drivers so some jurisdictions do not allow new drivers to drive under
these conditions.
All jurisdictions have a zero tolerance policy
toward driving while impaired. During the probationary period the legal
limit is zero-point-zero meaning you can’t have any alcohol in your
system when you drive.
Breaching any one of these rules can cost you your driver's license.
Slow Down
This
one may seem like a no-brainer but teens are more likely than any other
age group to feel the need for speed. For teens speeding and drag
racing are cheap thrills. Combine this with the rush of excitement we
all feel when doing something new and the results can be deadly.
Teen
brains simply do not process actions and consequences with the same
level of acuity as the adult brain. As a result teens often don’t think
about what could go wrong, they get caught up in the excitement of the
moment. By slowing down and obeying posted speed limits you
significantly reduce your chances of being in an accident.
Buckle Up
Always
wear your seat belt and insist that your passengers do the same. Using a
seat belt may seem like a simple way to avoid serious injury but a
surprising number of people, not just teens, don’t strap in before they
drive.
Don’t believe the urban myths that seat belts can actually hurt
you. The number of people who have been harmed by seat belts is nothing
compared to the hundreds of thousands of people saved by them each and
every year. So take no more passengers than you have seat belts for in
your car and make sure they all buckle up before you take to the road.
Don’t Take Too Many Passengers
Keep
the number of people in your car to a minimum. If you live in an area
that has passenger restrictions for new drivers strictly adhere to the
legislated number of people you can have in your car.
Studies by both the NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration
have shown that teens become more reckless behind the wheel when they
are in a larger group. When there are lots of people in the car teens
have been shown to be more likely to speed, to allow unlicensed peers to
drive, to drive while intoxicated, to take passengers without seat
belts or allow people to sit on other passenger’s laps. Peer pressure
almost always plays a role in street racing and other car games played
by teens.
Never Drive Impaired
Never drive while under the
influence of alcohol, prescription or street drugs, or over the counter
medications. This is the gold standard of safe driving rules but lots of
people out there still don’t seem to get it. Driving under the
influence is asking for trouble.
Teens are not the only offenders when
it comes to driving impaired but their lack of driving experience make
the risks that much greater. Couple this with the fact that when teens
drink and drive they are more likely to take passengers and it’s a
recipe for multi-victim disaster.
Driving impaired is never a good
idea no matter how old you are, how much you think you can handle and
how many people are counting on you to get home. The fact that your
friends are counting on you for a ride home is never a reason to drive
drunk. When you need to drive others home you should not to drink at
all. Don’t be a driver if you think you are going to drink.
