Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
It’s that time of year when we see a plethora of teenagers behind the wheel. Many of them are out enjoying what can be considered the best part of their lives — prom, graduation and summer break.
What parents need to keep in mind is that traffic accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for teenagers across the country. Their first year behind the wheel is the most dangerous of them all. Luckily, you’re one of the biggest influences in their driving habits and can help to shape their skills for a lifetime of safe driving.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA), teenage drivers tend to emulate their parents driving habits. Our Boston car accident attorneys are urging you to be on your best behavior behind the wheel when your teen is in the car with you. You’re not going to go at it alone though. Officials with the Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program will be flooding the country with safe driving materials for teens in 2013.
“By setting a good example behind the wheel, parents can increase the chances their children will adopt safe driving practices,” said Jim Vella, the President for Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.
Don’t believe us? Consider this: about three quarters of teenagers surveyed in a DSFL poll say that they rely heavily on their parents’ advice when they first get their driver’s license.
Luckily, officials with the DSFL are here to offer you some safe driving tips to help to make sure you’re setting the example that your young driver needs. Read the following and review these rules with the teen in your home.
Safe Driving Rules to Help Teens:
-Drive together and drive often. Make sure you offer your teenager a lot of supervised driving time. This is going to help you to make sure that they’re displaying all of the proper driving habits needed to keep them safe out there.
-Buckle up. Parents who wear a seat belt are likely to have teenagers who will wear theirs. Make sure that everyone in the vehicle is buckled in during each and every car ride.
-Obey speed limit. Speed is a factor in about a third of all traffic accidents. Make sure that you’re obeying the posted speed limit and that you’re driving to accommodate the current weather and traffic conditions.
-Halt the distractions. Make sure there’s a “no distraction” rule for the drivers in your home. Distractions include cell phones, music, GPS devices, passengers, eating and smoking. Say no to all of it.
-Scan the roads. Make sure that whoever is behind the wheel knows what’s going on around them at all times. You want to be one step ahead of the traffic around you so that you can better avoid collisions.
-Limit passengers. Under state law, during the first 6 months of a driver’s license, drivers are not allowed to have passengers younger than 18. Although this law is secondary enforcement, you should make it primary enforcement within your household.
If you or your teen has been injured in a car accident, contact Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Boston Drowsy Driving Prevention Week — Young Motorists at High Risk, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, November 16, 2012
Helping Our Teens on the Road to Safe Driving, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, April 1, 2013