Available 24/7A recent study ranked the safety of states for teenage drivers. Considering elements like the number of fatal teenage automobile accidents, teenage drunk driving rates, and insurance costs, the study ranked California among the top five safest states for teenage drivers. This statistic, however, does not mean that teenage automobile are to be taken lightly.
This article will detail some important advice this upcoming summer for teen drivers in Murrieta.
Leading Causes of Teenage Automobile Accidents
The following are the major components in teenage automobile accidents and fatalities in Murrieta:
- Seatbelts. Reports reveal that teenagers have the lowest seat belt use of any group.
- Speeding. Half of all fatal automobile accidents involving teenage drivers are speeding-related.
- Alcohol. Drinking and driving is involved in a high number of teenage automobile accidents.
- Texting. Texting while driving is proving to be even more fatal than drunk driving.
Driving Tips to Teach Your Murietta Teen
The risk of teenage automobile accidents can be greatly reduced if parents teach new teen drivers a few safe driving tips. Make sure to follow these tips yourself because teenagers learn to drive by observing the techniques of older adults.
- Buckle up. Always wear a seat belt. Make it a rule that your teenager is not allowed to drive anywhere before first buckling up. Wearing a seatbelt is the number one step to take in order to decrease the severity of automobile accidents.
- Practice Driving in All Types of Weather. Taking the time to make sure your teen learns how to drive in adverse weather conditions like rain and snow will greatly increase your teen’s ability to drive well when faced with these situations while driving alone.
- No Cell Phones. Teach your teen to never use a cell phone while driving a vehicle. Tell the teen to shut off the telephone, but keep the phone in the vehicle while driving in case of emergencies.
- Never Drink and Drive. Make sure your teen never drives after consuming alcohol. While teens are not supposed to consume alcohol, if your teen is going to be in an environment where alcohol use is likely tell them not to drive and either stay at the same location or hire the services of a ride share company like Lyft or Uber.
- Passenger Control. A large number of passengers in a vehicle can greatly distract teen drivers so make sure your teen always limits the number of passengers in the cars.
- No Late Night Driving. Teens are susceptible to automobile accidents that occur at late night due to growing drowsy. Not to mention, many fatal teenage automobile accidents occur between midnight and six a.m., so make sure to institute a curfew for your teen driver.
- Observe. If you notice that your teen has bad driving habits or is in the process of forming driving behavior that will have a negative impact, address the issue with your teen and make sure the matter is corrected before your teen continues driving.
- Classes. If you think your teen would benefit from it, sign your teen up for additional driving classes to gain the requisite skill needed to operate a vehicle.
While California is the fifth safest state for teenage driving, teenage automobile accidents still occur in California. If you or your teen have been in an auto accident, call our experienced car accident attorneys at The Sargent Firm Injury Lawyers as soon as possible for a free consultation to discuss your case.