HACKETTSTOWN – A National Safety Council (NSC) poll found that 76 percent of parents are unaware that the biggest risk to their teens’ safety is the vehicle sitting in the driveway.
In observance of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month that runs throughout the month of May, which is the height of prom and graduation season, the New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition compiled a comprehensive list of things many parents may not, but need to, know about teen driver safety:
Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens
Teens crash most often because they are inexperienced – not because they take more risks behind the wheel.
Other teen passengers are one of the biggest distractions for teen drivers. Just one teen passenger raises a teen driver’s fatal crash risk 44 percent. Two passengers double the fatal crash risk and three or more quadruples it.
Most fatal nighttime crashes involving teen drivers happen between 9 p.m. and midnight.
More than half of teens killed in car crashes were not restrained in a seatbelt.
“Parents tend to worry most about the things we hear in the news, like cyber bullying and drug and alcohol use,” said Pam Fischer, Leader of the NJ Coalition. “But car crashes are a leading killer of teens in New Jersey. Ensuring our most vulnerable drivers safely gain the experience they need will result in more teens attending prom and graduation, not their friends’ funerals.”
Five easy, but effective tips for parents to help keep their novice driver safe include:
Remind your teen to buckle up on every trip, and make sure their passengers are buckled, too.
Enforce driving rules, even after school lets out. Summer is the most dangerous driving season for teens, however one-third of parents surveyed said they allow risky behaviors during vacations, like allowing their teen to drive late at night.
Practice with teens, even after they receive their license, to make sure they are retaining good driving habits.
Model good behaviors. Ninety-five percent of parents who drive distracted do so in front of their teens.
Reinforce no cell phones, including hands-free, when driving; it’s the law. More than half of teens feel pressure from their parents to answer their phones when mom or dad calls them when they’re driving.
The New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition encourages parents with new teen drivers to get educated about New Jersey’s Graduated Drivers License (GDL) program, which applies to all new drivers during the first year of licensure. Parents can also use resources from DriveitHOME.org to help them become effective driving coaches. DriveitHOME.org includes tips and driving lessons which parents and teens can use to outline household driving rules. The NSC and the General Motors Foundation also developed Steer Your Teen in the Right Direction, which can be presented by anyone concerned about teen driver safety.
About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913, the NSC (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas that can make the most impact regarding distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and safe communities.
About the Teen Safe Driving Coalitions
The Teen Safe Driving Coalitions (teensafedriving.org) are supported by The Allstate Foundation and managed by the National Safety Council. The Coalitions seek to establish a culture of teen safe driving based on the principles of Graduated Driver Licensing. Coalitions are established in 10 states including New Jersey. To learn more about the New Jersey Coalition, visit www.teensafeddriving.org/nj.