Did you know that one in five teens get into a car accident their first year of driving? Did you also know that more than 74,000 young adults die every year because they didn’t buckle up? Teen drivers have little experience with various situations that they can run into while driving. As a result, a lot of teens get into auto accidents which can lead to injury or even death.
Some of us may have experience working with an auto accident attorney because we were one of those teens who got into an accident as a young, inexperienced driver. We don’t want our kids to make the same mistakes that we did and end up calling a Salt Lake City auto accident attorney, so here are some tips to keep your teen safe on the road and prevent accidents.
Buckle Up
First and foremost, buckle up. Accidents can happen whether you are following the law or not. You can’t control what other drivers do and drivers make bad decisions all the time. If you don’t buckle up and you get into an accident, you risk serious injury and even death.
Turn Your Cell Off
Studies have shown that texting while driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving, even when using a hands-free device. Turn off your cell phone so that you aren’t tempted to text and drive. No one wants to call an auto accident attorney because another driver was texting while driving, so you shouldn’t do it either.
Obey the Speed Limit
Speeding is one of the most common factors leading to fatal teen crashes, especially when there’s traffic or when driving on unfamiliar roads. If someone is tailgating you don’t feel pressure to speed up, simply let them pass.
Minimize Distractions
A lot of people drink, eat and play music loudly while driving, but this does not mean that any of these behaviors are safe. Distracted driving causes your mind to wander and within a matter of seconds you could miss something that leads to an accident.
Practice Defensive Driving
You should always be aware of the vehicles ahead of you, behind you and next to you in case another driver makes a mistake and you need an escape route. Keep a safe driving distance by staying at least one car length behind the car in front of you.
Don’t Drink and Drive
We can’t stress it enough, don’t drink and drive. Not only is it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink, but the consequences of drunk driving are life threatening. Every year, people have to call an auto accident attorney or a wrongful death lawyer because they were hit by a drunk driver. Don’t risk your life or someone else’s by choosing to drive drunk, the consequences are never worth it.
Teens are inexperienced drivers and thus have a tendency to make mistakes while driving. Follow these tips for safe driving so that you may prevent accidents, injury and even death.
Sources:
https://www.dmv.org/insurance/safe-driving-tips-for-teenage-drivers.php
http://www.kidslivesafe.com/child-safety/teen-driving-safety-tips
https://www.geico.com/information/safety/auto/teendriving/statistics/