Watching your teenager drive off on their own for the first time can be a bittersweet experience. You spent hours and hours preparing them to be safe drivers, but you still worry. How can you go the extra mile to safely prepare your child for the open road and avoid a car crash? We can answer that question, but first, let\u2019s look at some of the statistics and factors that lead to teen car accidents.<\/p>\n
According to the CDC, about 2,400 teens in the U.S are killed in car accidents each year<\/strong> and almost 258,000 teens are hospitalized. Teenage boys are two times more likely to be killed in a car accident than teenage girls, so if your son is about to start driving, you may want to take extra care in teaching him how to be a safe driver. Our ultimate driving safety guide<\/strong><\/a> is a great first step in your conversation about the importance of driver responsibility.<\/p>\n Next, let\u2019s talk about some of the reasons teens are more at risk.<\/p>\n There are many reasons why teen drivers are more likely to be in car accidents, and knowing those reasons can help you keep your child out of potentially dangerous situations. There are two main categories that most teen car accidents fall into: factors outside of their control and those that are within their control. We\u2019ll go over each.<\/p>\n Your child is most at risk of being in an accident in the months after they obtain their driver\u2019s license. Generally speaking, the more practice someone has before getting their license, the less likely they are to get in a car accident.<\/p>\n Even after your teen is legally able to drive alone, continue regular driving lessons with them to reinforce good habits.<\/p>\n About one in 10 car accidents are caused by drowsy driving. Teens have busy schedules, and while they may feel fine to drive home after a long day, many don\u2019t understand their own limitations yet. Alert driving is responsible driving.<\/p>\n Teach your child to recognize the signs that they may be too tired to drive; excessive yawning, inability to focus, and missing turns are all things to look out for. Reassure your teen that if they feel this way, you are only a phone call away and will pick them up if need be.<\/p>\n If your teenager has become their friends\u2019 driver of choice, it\u2019ll increase their chances of being in an accident. In fact, that chance increases with every additional teen passenger they have in their vehicle.<\/p>\n It\u2019s essential to set clear boundaries with your child about how many friends they can have in their car at one time. There are often legal limits to this as well depending on how long your teen has had their license.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, teens are less likely to use seat belts than adult drivers. Only 87% of teens regularly remember to use their seatbelts, while adult drivers tend to remember 90% percent of the time.<\/p>\n Lead by example by always buckling up when you drive and remind your teen to do the same. Let them know their driving privileges will only be allowed to continue if they always use their seatbelt.<\/p>\n According to the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, about 39% of teens send texts or emails while driving<\/strong><\/a>. This kind of distracted driving claims about 3,142 lives a year, and those numbers seem to be growing. Some states have even banned the use of phones by drivers altogether, so we\u2019ve compiled each state\u2019s specific cell phone laws<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Talk to your teen driver about how dangerous distracted driving can be. You can also check out this list of apps<\/strong><\/a> that will prevent your child from using their phone while driving.<\/p>\n Teens are far more likely than older drivers to speed, and speeding is a huge factor when it comes to the severity of car accidents. In 2018, 30% of male drivers aged 15\u201320 years and 18% of female drivers aged 15\u201320 years involved in fatal crashes were speeding.<\/p>\n As always, you should talk to your teen about the dangers of speeding and continue to demonstrate safe techniques in your driving. There are also tracking systems<\/strong><\/a> you can use to monitor your child\u2019s driving.<\/p>\n We all know that drinking any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of a car accident. Teenagers who drive under the influence are even more likely to be involved in a crash. In 2018, 24% of drivers aged 15\u201320 killed in fatal motor vehicle crashes had been drinking.<\/p>\n Even though drinking under the age of 21 is illegal in the U.S., many teens still find a way to drink. Being an involved parent<\/strong><\/a> may be the best possible way to keep them from drinking and driving. Ways to do this include setting a curfew and greeting your child when they get home to check for signs of alcohol use, making sure your own alcohol in the house is not easily accessible, and making a pact with your teen that they will never drink and drive. Consider a contract you can print out and have them sign<\/strong><\/a> to understand the importance of only driving when sober. Finally, let your child know that if they are ever in a situation where they or the person they are riding with has been drinking, they can call you for a safe ride home.<\/p>\n Even with all the prevention in the world, sometimes accidents do happen. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential that your child also knows what to do if they are involved in a crash.<\/p>\n If your teen is involved in a car accident, they must have a clear plan of action so they don\u2019t panic. The following steps are a great general guide to share with your teen driver:<\/p>\n Your teen should be added to your Elephant car insurance<\/strong><\/a> policy as soon as they are licensed. We offer savings and safe driving incentives<\/strong><\/a> for your teen, including accident forgiveness<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n With the right practice and knowledge of how to both prevent teen car accidents and what to do should one occur, you can rest easy knowing your child is safer on the road. Protect them in the process by getting a quote<\/strong><\/a> today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The post What to do when your teen is in a car crash<\/a> appeared first on Elephant Insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Watching your teenager drive off on their own for the first time can be a bittersweet experience. You<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":276,"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275\/revisions\/276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lauratotten.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why do teens get into accidents?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Factors outside of their control<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Inexperience is dangerous<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Drowsy driving<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help: <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Factors within their control<\/strong><\/h2>\n
More passengers are less safe<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Seat belts are key<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Texting while driving<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help: <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Speeding<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help: <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Drinking and driving<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How you can help: <\/strong><\/h4>\n
What to do in an accident<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Insurance for your teen<\/strong><\/h2>\n