By: Cathy Droz

Did you know that every year teenage drivers are involved in about 8,000 fatal crashes?

This is a horrible statistic that warrants our complete attention.  I’ve gathered some tips over the years I believe that can help parents and young drivers to cut back on those staggering statistics.

My first suggestion is to have your teen wait as long as you both can stand it – in order  to allow your teen to get a full license.  The accident rate for l6-year olds is much higher than l7 or l8 year olds.

Don’t allow your teen to carry other teenage passengers or be a passenger when another teen is driving.  Many times a new driver will look to show off in front of friends in their car or the passengers themselves don’t know how to act properly in the car, and distract the driver.

If you have boys, consider this, they have twice the risk of getting in an accident. Of course it is usually the teenage boy that can’t wait to drive and they don’t want to hear me suggest they take a few more months to mature, but as the parent, be observant and you make that decision.

Don’t let your teens drive at night in the beginning and by all means prohibit cell phones to be used while driving  Also, no eating in cars or racing your fellow teen driver.. these are total distractions.  Let me add one more “don’t” I saw the other day… a teenage girl with her puppy on her lap while driving. Animals can make one false move and you loose control, which in turn can cause a crash and the loss of your teens life and your pet.

Teens, as well as adults, must have their seatbelts on at all times and  you should provide a safe car for your child, make sure the car meets the safety standards with airbags, anti lock brakes and quality tires….I personally like to have a safety kit on board in case of emergencies.  Speaking of emergencies, the best gift for your teen, although they won’t think so, is a roadside emergency card … now that is one of the few times when teens should use their cell phone to dial for help.

One of the most important things for us as parents and grandparents is to be good role models for our teens. Don’t talk on the phone and drive,  don’t text and drive and of course don’t drink and drive.   Road rage should be controlled and applying makeup while driving is not a good idea.

I suggest, if you can afford it, to get your teens driving lessons at a local driving school or private driving lessons.  Parents and older siblings are great help, but there is nothing like professionally trained instructors to start your teen off the right way and by the law.

These are all important safety tips for teens and their families…after all we love our children and want them safe when they start driving.  Let’s be a part of the solution to preventing teen accidents.   Pass it on !!!

That’s it for Cathy’s Car Corner, see you next time ….