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Talking To Teens About Driver Safety Could Save A Life

Although this is something that parents should discuss with teens throughout the year, this week has been identified as National Teen Driver Safety Week. Parents are encouraged to have conversations with their teenage drivers about safety behind the wheel in efforts to decrease accidents and fatalities from the greatest dangers for teenage drivers: alcohol, inconsistent or no seatbelt use, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding and too many passengers in the vehicle. The leading cause of death for 15 to 18 year olds is motor vehicle crashes, topping all other types of injuries, diseases or violence. There were 1,972 teen drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes across the nation in 2015, and an estimated 99,000 drivers were injured. The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau says that 52 young drivers under the age of 21 died in Iowa in 2015, and that losing even one more is too many. Statistics and points of conversation to bring up with your teen driver can be found here.

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  • Alcohol: In 2015, almost one out of five teen passenger vehicle drivers involved in a fatal crash had been drinking. Remind your teen that driving under the influence of any impairing substance, including illicit or prescription drugs, could have deadly consequences.
  • Seat Belts: Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways for teens to stay safe in a vehicle. In 2015, a total of 531 passengers died in passenger vehicles driven by teen drivers. And, 58 percent of those passengers were NOT wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash. Even more troubling, in 84 percent of cases when the teen driver was unbuckled, the passengers were also unbuckled.
  • Distracted Driving: Distractions while driving are more than just risky—they can be deadly. In 2015, among teen drivers involved in fatal crashes, 10 percent were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. 
  • Speeding: In 2015, almost one-third (29%) of all teen passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash.
  • Passengers: Research shows that the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of passengers in a car. The likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.
  • Drowsy Driving: Teens are busier than ever: studying, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and spending time with friends are among the long list of things they do to fill their time. However, with all of these activities, teens tend to compromise something very important—sleep. This is a dangerous habit that can lead to drowsy driving.

 

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