Summer Schooling Your Teen Driver
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day poses the greatest danger for teen drivers. During this time, teens face a 20 percent higher risk of being involved in a fatal crash compared to other times of the year, according to the National Road Safety Foundation.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death and major injury among teens nationwide, and research shows that 75 percent of young driver crashes are due to driver error. Identifying areas of concern and providing tools to develop safer driving skills before teens begin to drive independently is essential to reducing their crash risk.
Factors in fatal teen crashes:
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Distracted driving
Distractions such as talking on the phone or to other passengers is a factor in 60 percent of cases. -
Speeding
In 2022, 35 percent of male drivers and 17 percent of female drivers ages 15-20 were driving too fast for road conditions. -
Drunk driving
About 30 percent of cases involve drivers younger than the legal drinking age with BACs of .01 g/dL or higher.
Parents are important role models and set an example through their driving and discussing the measures their teens should take to help reduce the risk of a car crash.
Erica Rosso, NJM Consumer Safety Partnership and Program Supervisor, said most teen crashes are preventable.
“Parents who set rules, offer support, and monitor their teen’s driving can reduce their teen’s crash risk by as much as 50 percent,” Rosso said. “Just one hour of practice driving a week can reduce a teen’s chance of crashing.”
She suggested parents involve their teen driver in these daily family routines:
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Use shopping trips and errands to navigate commercial districts, parallel parking, and pedestrian traffic.
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Practice safe habits and learn alternative routes to familiar local destinations.
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Include highways and toll roads for the experience of a higher volume of traffic.
By modeling safe driving habits, committing time to practice with your teen, and reinforcing the road rules, you can help them from becoming a traffic statistic.
NJM Insurance Group’s Commitment to Safety
NJM’s enduring commitment to safety can be traced back to our earliest days — with a focus that has expanded from improving conditions in manufacturing facilities to helping keep customers safe on the roads and at home. NJM is a leader in personal and commercial auto, homeowners, and workers’ compensation insurance.
References:
The National Road Safety Foundation. “100 Safest Days of Summer,” https://nrsf.org/100-safest-days-summer.
100 Safest Days of Summer. https://www.100safestdaysofsummer.org/.