Is Your Teen a Driver?

Handing your teen the car keys for the first time is bound to be exciting and scary. For your teen, driving invites a thrilling move toward independence and freedom, but also comes with the responsibility of getting behind the wheel of a machine that can cause a lot of damage if not driven carefully and appropriately. For the parent, it often comes with anxiety over safety and the added cost of insuring that teenage driver. Parents should keep the following facts in mind when talking to their teen about safe driving. Here are some important details your teen should know:

1. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens. Plus, the number of teen crash fatalities tends to rise during the summer months. These accidents are often preventable. Parents can help by modeling appropriate behavior, such as, by turning off or silencing cellphones prior to driving, and by discussing what safe driving looks like. These actions should begin at an early age and continue once a teen is licensed.

2. Often people other than the teen driver get injured or killed. And all states have graduated driver licensing laws, which can include restrictions on passengers for teen drivers.

3. About half of teens who died in car accidents weren't wearing a seat belt. Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use, despite the fact they cut crash-related injuries and deaths by about half.

4. Distractions are often a factor in teen crashes. Some distractions include passengers, radios and music player, cellphone conversations, text messages, object or activity on the side of the road.

5. Inexperience can also cause teens to overreact to certain driving situations. Teen drivers are more likely to swerve into other lanes, brake to hard, run off the road, get rear-ended by another vehicle, or even cut off other drivers.

Help your teen anticipate and mentally rehearse driving situations. Make sure you teen is aware of the risk of overreaction. Car insurance is usually more expensive for young drivers, but discounts can help with the cost. If you want to add your teen into your insurance policy call us at A-Best Insurance today at 713-681-1967. Finding the right insurance at a price you or your teen can handle will give you the peace of mind you’re going to need when they get behind the wheel.

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