I’ll bet you can remember when you first sat behind the wheel of a car, or, if not, when you first drove solo or got your first car. It’s a landmark on the road to adulthood. Unfortunately, most young drivers fail to observe all the commonsense rules and driving skills I can think of more than one occasion when I read in my local newspaper of a teen car tragedy that often resulted from high spirits, especially after graduation, and sometimes even real spirits – alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Here are guidelines for safe teen driving. As parents, it’s your job to convince the young drivers in your life of their wisdom.
- Learners should have instruction from drivers who are as experienced as possible – preferably professional instructors using a special, marked learner vehicle.
- Allow few or no passengers, especially at night, when extra caution should also be exercised.
- No high performance vehicles – either yours or their own. And no racing.
- Wear seat belts at all times.
While these guidelines are commonsense, it is imperative that you talk about the importance of each to your teen. At Elzey Insurance, we not only specialize in providing you and your family auto insurance but our goal is to arm you with the information you need to help instill safe driving habits for you and for your family. If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you, please call us at 281-998-2500 or visit us on the web at www.texaninsurance.com.