FACT: Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens in Georgia.


FACT: More than 4,000 teens die nationwide in car crashes every year.


FACT: Teens crash 4x more often than any other age group.

 

FACT: Parents have the power to change the statistics.

 

The four greatest factors impacting whether a teen has a car crash are:

Research shows that increasing practice time, limiting the number of passengers in your teen’s vehicle, restricting nighttime driving, and having parents engaged in their teens’ driving contribute significantly to keeping teens safe behind-the-wheel.

 

Experience Matters

It takes time and practice to learn teendrivingexperiencehow to ride a bike – learning to drive is no different.

Like all skills, being a safe driver is something that can only be learned through observation and training.

When it comes to driving, the old axiom of “practice makes perfect” holds true. This is why Georgia requires teens younger than 17 to have a minimum of 40 hours supervised driving experience, including at least 6 hours at night in order to obtain a Class C license.

>Click here for more on Georgia teen driving laws.

Research shows the single biggest factor causing teen car crashes is not a teen’s behavior, it’s lack of experience. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute in April 2011 identified the most common errors teen drivers make leading to crashes.

In three out of four serious teen driver crashes, this research found inexperience as the main cause of the crash, with the following errors present in half of these crashes.

1. Lack of scanning the roadway

2. Driving too fast for conditions

3. Distraction by something inside or outside the vehicle

The good news is that as teens gain experience and maturity, the likelihood of their being in a crash rapidly decreases.

>Click here before you start practicing with your teen to see some tips on making the learning-to-drive experience as safe as possible. Courtesy of The Oregon Parent Guide to Teen Driving (.pdf).

Teen Passengers

crash_rate_chartTeens driving with passengers are 4-5 times more likely to crash than those driving without any peers in the car. Further, one of the scenarios in which teens most often crash is when they are driving on the weekend with friends.

Distraction and peer influence is one of the key reasons that there are so many teen car crashes with multiple passengers.

This is why Georgia’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law, known as TADRA (Teenage & Adult Driver Responsibility Act), specifically addresses how many passengers young motorists ages 15 to 18 can have in the car with them when they are first learning to drive.

Specifically,

  • During the first 6 months of a Class D (often referred to as a learner’s permit) license, teens are allowed to drive with NO passengers other than immediate family or state-certified driving instructors.
  • In the second 6 months of having the Class D license, teens are allowed to drive with no more than ONE passenger who is under 21 that is not immediate family or state-certified driving instructors.
  • After having the Class D license a year and until the teen has a Class C license, which is possible at age 18, teens are allowed to drive with a maximum of three passengers under the age of 21 that are not immediate family.

Teen Drivers - Dangerous for Passangers and Driver

Being a teenage PASSENGER is almost more deadly as being a driver, because about two thirds of those killed are riding in a car driven by another teen.

  • 2/3 of teen occupants killed in crashes were not wearing seatbelts
  • 2 or more passengers more than triples the risk of a fatal crash with a teen at the wheel

Set Limits On Nighttime Driving

The fatal crash risk for 16-year-olds is nearly twice as high at night according to data collected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety(.pdf).

Georgia’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law, known as TADRA (Teenage & Adult Driver Responsibility Act), specifically requires teens to have at least 6 hours of nighttime driving experience before they can qualify for their Class C driver’s license. The danger nighttime driving poses to new drivers is also why TADRA prohibits 15-18 year olds from driving between the hours of 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. No exceptions.

Some safety organizations advocate for even tighter restrictions. The National Safety Council, for example, recommends those under the age of 18 stay off the road beginning no later than 10 p.m. and ending no earlier than 5 a.m.

 

Parental Involvement

It has long been known that a teen’s likelihood of smoking, drinking, or delinquency is closely linked to their parent’s approach to parenting.

Thanks to the 2011 National Young Driver Survey conducted by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, research proves this applies to teen driving behavior as well– and the results are dramatic.

According to the Survey, teens who said their parents were helpful, supportive, set rules and monitored those rules were safest in the car.

These teens reported they were:

  • Half as likely to have had a crash in the last year
    • 70 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated
  • 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving
  • Twice as likely to use seat belts
  • Half as likely to speed
In short, setting and monitoring rules can save lives!

What can you do as a parent to make your teen a safer driver?

Teens begin learning how to drive from the moment their infant car seat is facing forward. If improving the driving safety of their teen is a priority, it is vital that parents do the following:
  • Set a good example. Demonstrate safe and good driving skills as your child anticipates driving and becomes more critical of parental driving habits.

  • Expect mistakes. The only way to learn is to make mistakes, so accept this and be positive and calm. Coach your teen on mistakes and praise correct driving.

  • Give directions properly. Explain what your teen should do in advance, in a clear, calm voice.

  • Stay focused. Remember that your teen is still learning and you are the responsible, experienced driver. Scan the roadway for hazards and be ready to react.

  • Practice. Practice. Practice. Exceed the required hours coaching a new driver until they are eligible for a restricted license. Keep a driving log.

  • Be consistent. Establish rules and expectations with your teen regarding the use of a vehicle—be consistent in enforcement that is meaningful to them.

  • Choose a vehicle that is safe.

  • Protect your family from potential financial liability with car insurance.

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