Back to School: Teenagers Driving to School

A special guest post by Safe Teen Driving Club as school is opening throughout the country.

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among 15- to 20-year olds.
Will your teen be driving to school this year?

Do You Know the Facts?

• 16-year-old teens have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.
• They are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.
• In 2008 some 2,739 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 died in motor vehicle crashes.
• About 2 out of every 3 teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 were males (IIHS).
• Drivers ages 15-20 accounted for 12% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2008 and 14% of all drivers involved in police-reported crashes.
• 63% of teenage passenger deaths occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager.
• Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 19% occurred when a teenager was driving (IIHS).
• 58 percent of teen drivers crash the car in their first year of driving; over 80 percent in the first three years, according to the National Safety Council.
• The majority (58%) of young people 16 to 20 years old involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes were unbuckled.  (Ref.: NHTSA)
• The leading Risk Factors are:

-Fatigue
-Driving after dark
-Inexperience, age
-Driver Distraction – iPod, Cell Phone, Radio, Other Passengers
-Failure to buckle up
-Drugs, Alcohol

Teens who get less than eight hours of sleep per night are twice as likely to say they have fallen asleep at the wheel (20 percent) than teens who report getting eight or more hours of sleep per night (10 percent). A national survey of 3,580 students in grades 10-12 found that 36 percent of teens often drive when drowsy to school in the morning.

Ref: Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).

Driving between 9PM and 6AM triples the risk of a fatal crash for 16-year-old drivers, a 2003 IIHS report showed. A NC study found “the majority of 16 and 17 year-old drivers' nighttime crashes (nearly 80 percent) occur between 9 p.m. and midnight.”

(Ref: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org)

What To Do? Get Engaged!

• Parental involvement is a key contributor to safe driving behavior. Establish clear family  rules for driving.
• Work with your teens to get more sleep
• Consider putting them on the bus or driving them to school - even if it is not cool!
• Vehicle monitoring and reporting has dramatic impact on reducing accident rates – proven in the commercial arena for years.
• Establishing driving agreements contributes to reduced fatalities (when enforced.)
• Parents need to enforce Graduated Driver Licensing laws rather than relying on law enforcement.
• Discussion, awareness and training for teens and parents are key

Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens.
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Visit Safe Driving Club today for more valuable information.

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Teen Driving: When is your teen able to drive?

Many teens will count the days until they take their first step into adulthood -- driving!  However it is a parent's responsibility to determine if their teen is mature enough to take on this major responsibility.

Each state has their own laws on the age your teen can start driving.  In Florida, at age 15, teens can apply for a learner’s license. The teen must have completed a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Course; pass the written, vision and hearing tests; and have a signed parent consent form.

With a learner’s license, teens may only drive with a licensed driver age 21 or older supervising and sitting in the front seat. For the first three months, teens may only practice during daylight hours; then, teens may practice no later than 10 p.m. Teens are required to practice driving for at least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night, with a parent or a legal guardian, before they’re allowed an intermediate permit.

DMV Practice Questions - Take this sample test to determine if you’re ready to take the state driving test.
When teens turn 16, have had a learner’s license for at least 1 year without any traffic violations and have completed 50 hours of practice driving, 10 of which must be at night, they can apply for the intermediate license. They also must pass a behind-the-wheel driving test, complete a vision test and provide proof of practice driving time. Legal guardians must accompany their teens to the DMV to sign the application form, or their signature must be notarized on the form.

At the intermediate stage, driving privileges are based on age. For a 16-year old, driving is allowed between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. For a 17-year old, driving is allowed between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. Outside of these time frames, teen drivers must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old in the front passenger seat, or must be traveling to or from work.

At age 18, teens are eligible for a full unrestricted license. The state does not place night or passenger limits on those with unrestricted licenses.

All first time drivers in Florida must take a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse course and a written exam to receive a learner’s license. The tests below are approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and are offered online through AAA:

• Drug Alcohol Traffic Awareness (DATA)
  
• Written Exam for Learner’s License

Source:  AAA

Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens.

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