A Few Tips for Parents to Keep Young & New Drivers Safe

There was an article in the Hamilton Spectator Thursday March 22, 2007 that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

The article indicated that a survey was conducted by The Allstate Foundation in the US which shows that while parents know that car crashes caused by teenaged drivers are the leading causes of crashes, the survey found that while parents agree they must play a significant role in preparing their teens to drive, many still delay safe driving conversations, allow their teens to drive or ride in dangerous conditions and model unsafe behaviour behind the wheel.

The survey encompassed more than 1000 parents of teenagers aged 15 to 17.

According to the survey, nearly 50% of parents polled think crashes involving teens result from drunk drivers; in reality, the majority are caused by driver error, speeding and driving with distractions.

The Allstate foundation suggests the following:

• Talk with your child early and often: The survey shows most parents do not talk to their teens about safe driving until a year or less before their teens receive a permit to drive. This is long after the teens' attitudes toward driving have developed. When their children are 12 or younger, 77% of parents discuss the dangers of smoking, 72% discuss drugs and 70% discuss peer pressure but only 27% discuss safe driving!
• Shake the "not my teen" syndrome: The survey finds that while two-thirds of parents polled think teens in general are bad drivers, 88% trust their own children to drive safely, and 55% believe that if their teen were in a crash, it would be someone else's fault.
• Restrict dangerous driving situations: 90% of respondents permit their teens to drive after dark, even though they are twice as likely to crash at night as during the day; 77% allow their teens to drive with friends, even though the chances of crashing increase in proportion to the number of teen passengers in a car; and 69% allow their teens to drive in bad weather.
• Practice what you preach: While 99% of parents polled say it is helpful for their teens to see good driving behaviour from them, 71% of the parents have talked on a cellphone while driving with their teens in the car; 62% have operated a radio, MP3 player, game or other device while driving; and more than a quarter have broken a law, such as running a red light or stop sign, with their teens in the car.

A good foundation for any life skill begins as usual at HOME - a good Driver Training Program is an essential first step which must be followed up with Parental Involvement!! Start Early and Talk Often...!!!