Teenaged Drivers

Do you have a teen driver?  January is Teen Driving Awareness Month.  According to the CDC, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers.  Most of the accidents occur on Friday or Saturday nights.  Let’s take a look at some facts about teen driving and then some measures that can be taken to help greatly reduce this sad statistic.

Here are five eye opening facts about teen driving.  If you have a teen driver, share these with him or her.   Teen Driving Awareness. 

1. More teen boys than teen girls are involved in car crashes. 
2. In 2019, 7 teens per day were killed in car crashes.
3. Teens between the ages of 16-19 are 3 times more likely to be involved in crashes than those who are over the age of 20.
4. 52% of teen crashes occur on weekends.
5. 43.1% of teens have confessed to not wearing seatbelts.

Take measures not just in January, but in every month of the year to make sure that your teen has safe driving habits. What can you do? 

• If you are a parent of a teen, set a good example!  If you typically drive 90 mph in a 70 mph zone, chances are your teen will too.  If you text and drive, chances are your teen will too, etc. etc. etc.  Even though your teen will most likely go through a driving school and take a test to get a license, your teen watches and has been watching how you drive for years.  Practice safe driving habits, and follow the law. 
• Provide plenty of opportunities for your teen driver to get experience in various situations on the road with you in the car. They will benefit from more practice with you in addition to the practice they get in driving school.
• Consider the type of car your teen will be driving.  A mid to large sized car with air bags would be optimal.  A sporty car which would be so cool in a teen’s eyes may not be the best choice starting out.  It might tempt them to go above the speed limit!
• Consider installing an app on your teen’s phone to monitor his/her driving.  A quick Google search of “best apps for monitoring your teen driver” resulted in the following apps:  AT&T Drive Mode, Life 360, Mama Bear, True Motion Family Safe Driving, Automatic, and Hum By Verizon. These apps are free (most of them), and they provide valuable information such as location, speed, phone use while driving, and emergency response systems while your teen is out and about in the car. Check out these apps and more on the links below to see which one will work best for you.    

                     Apps           Indiana Farmer’s Tips

Last but not least, don’t forget to add your teen driver to your auto insurance policy when he/she finally becomes licensed.  Find out how your teen driver can earn discounts on the insurance premium. If you have questions about your insurance or adding a teen driver, we are here for you! 765-644-2591 peckandwoodinsurance.com   

  Jane Freeman is licensed in Property and Casualty Insurance at Peck and Wood Insurance. Featured Image is our cute granddaughter- a future teen driver.