The National Safety Council (NSC) and State Farm partnered to provide safety information and tools during National Teen Driver Safety Week.
“The Council urges parents to better understand teen crash risks and coach their teens through agreed expectations and consequences,” Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. “We all share the roads with teen drivers, so this is a great time to discuss these issues with the teens and parents in our lives.”
Froetscher pointed out that graduated driver licensing (GDL), which compels new drivers to earn their licenses in stages over time, can reduce teenagers’ crash risk by up to 40 percent. NSC stresses that “even if GDL isn’t a law in your state, it can be a law in your home.”
As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, NSC offers the following tips to parents to help keep their teens safe while behind the wheel:
1. Set a nighttime driving restriction of 10:00 p.m. or earlier.
2. Do not allow your teen to drive with passengers for the first 6 months of driving.
3. Ban all cell phone use while driving – both handheld and hands-free devices.
4. Prohibit alcohol.
5. Make safety belts mandatory.
“Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of teens, and October continues to be the most dangerous month for teen driver crashes,” said Emily Clark, State Farm public affairs specialist. “While promoting teen driver safety requires a year-round commitment, the fall timeframe is critically important. As teens return to school, attend homecoming and begin managing very busy schedules, we want them to keep safe driving practices at the top of their minds.”
For more information on teen driver safety, visit http://teendriver.nsc.org.