The Cochran Firm Ohio Shares NHTSA’s Tips For Teenage Drivers
Thousands of young drivers are injured or killed in car crashes each year. To combat these unfortunate injuries and deaths, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is encouraging parents to take a proactive approach to safety with their Tips For Teenage Drivers.
The Cochran Firm of Ohio, leading personal injury and auto accident attorneys, wants to share with parents safety tips for young drivers established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Tips For Teenage Drivers are to help parents keep their teens safe as they head out on the road, in hopes that we can significantly reduce the number of young drivers hurt and injured in auto accidents.
According to data, the NHTSA reports that in 2010, nearly 2,000 young drivers were killed in highway accidents, and another 187,000 were injured. Statistics show that one out of ten drivers who are in a fatal car crash are between the ages of 15 and 20. It is statistic like these that make it more important for parents to talk with there new drivers and discuss NHTSA’s Tips For Teenage Drivers.
While the NHTSA has created rules aimed at decreasing these tragic accidents, they are asking that parents and primary caregivers create rules of the road that their teen drivers are to adhere. These include following the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, which are a three-staged process that allows teens to gain experience driving before obtaining their full-licensure. The GDL program includes the learner’s permit, intermediate license, and then full driver’s license.
Parents are also asked to create a driving contract with their teens that establishes safe driving habits and holds the child accountable for their actions. This contract should include the use of seatbelts, not getting in car with a driver who the teen believes is unsafe, and totally avoiding getting in car with a driver who has drank alcohol or used drugs and not driving after the consumption of any alcohol or drugs. NHTSA reports that 22 percent of teenage driver fatal crashes involved alcohol.
Electronic device usage, or texting while driving is an experienced cause of teen-related driving accidents. Parents are encouraged to completely forbid the use of cell phones while driving. Data shows that 368 teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were distracted by their phones, which is a full 13 percent of fatal crashes related to distracted driving.
Another step that parents can take to keep their teen drivers safe is to limit driving done at night and the number of passengers that teen has in their vehicle. Teen drivers are more than two times likely to engage in risky behavior behind the wheel when they have passengers in the car. The risk increases as passenger number increases. According to the 2010 data, 1,326 passengers were killed in accidents involving young drivers. The NHTSA recommends that teen drivers have no more than one passenger in the car at a time.
Nighttime driving is also a teen driver danger zone. The NHTSA recommends that parents and guardians limit their teen’s night driving to 10 p.m. and earlier. Data shows that most nighttime teen driver fatal accidents happened between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Inexperience plays a large role in teen driving accidents, so we at the Cochran Law Firm, and the NHTSA recommend that parents and guardians continue to ride with their teen drivers after they get their licenses, especially during inclement weather, when traveling on gravel roads, and on high traffic roads, so you can help guide them through these sometimes sticky situations.
The Cochran Law Firm – Ohio, a leading Ohio personal injury law firm, recommends being highly involved in your teens driving habits, spending time offering guidance, and talking to young drivers about their worries, skills, and progress.