CDC on 8 Danger Zones for Teen Drivers
14 Jan 2022Getting your teen on the road is always a frightening prospect. Whether your new or up-and-coming driver is a rule follower or rebellious teen, a lack of experience on the road is the biggest reason for car accidents involving new drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, about seven teens aged 13–19 died every day in motor vehicle crashes.
The CDC has highlighted the 8 danger zones for teen drivers, which we list below. You can discuss them with your teen and make sure that they are driving safely.
#1: Driver Inexperience
As mentioned above, driver inexperience is a significant danger, meaning that the risks of getting into a crash are especially high in the first few months of learning to drive. Therefore, as a parent or guardian, you should ensure that they have 30 to 50 hours of supervised driving practice over at least six months. This includes driving in various environments such as different roads at different times of day during varying weather and traffic. You can stress the necessity of scanning the road and looking out for any potential hazards like other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.
#2: Driving with Teen Passengers
While every teenager wants to show off their new skill to their friends, driving with teen passengers increases the risk of a car accident. To prevent this you can limit your teen to up to one other peer in the car during the first six months of driving.
#3: Nighttime Driving
The risk of car crashes is always higher for people driving at night time, but it is especially high for teen drivers. The first thing you can do is make sure they have supervised practice driving at night. Then for the first six months, you can set an early curfew for your teen when they are driving.
#4: Seatbelts
While some teens may think they’re being cool by not using their seatbelt, if they do get in a crash they will be virtually unprotected without it. Therefore, you should stress the importance of wearing a seatbelt and tell them they are required to wear it when driving.
#5: Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a huge risk factor while on the road, so make sure that your teen understands this. You can forbid them from using cellphones while driving and other distracting activities like eating.
#6: Drowsy Driving
Teen drivers are at high risk for drowsy driving, especially if they are driving in the early morning or late at night. Stress the importance of getting a good night’s sleep before they wake up early to drive or stay up late the following night.
#7: Reckless Driving
Teens lack the maturity, judgment, and experience to assess risky situations and drive safely. Ensure that your teen follows the speed limit and changes it according to the conditions of the road. Also, make sure that your teen always gives the car ahead of them enough space to avoid any crash.
#8: Impaired Driving
While nobody wants to imagine that their young teen is using alcohol or drugs, whether you are aware of it or not it may be happening or could happen in the future. Therefore, it is essential that you have a conversation with them about the risks of using drugs and alcohol, especially when behind the wheel. Make sure to always be a good role model, and you can tell them that if they ever get into a situation where they feel unable to drive, that they can call you.
We’re Here to Help!
As a parent of a newly-minted teen driver, you can use a GPS tracker for teen driving device, which you can get from LiveViewGPS. With this device, you can be notified on your cell phone, laptop, tablet, or computer if your teen is speeding or is driving outside of set boundaries.
Give us a call at 1-888-544-0494 if you have any questions about which GPS teen tracking device to choose.
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