Fall is here and that means more Dallas/Fort Worth teens on the road with the return to school. Parents hope they’ve given their kids enough safe driving tips as they watch the younger, less experienced teen drivers back out onto the street.
In the United States, automobile accidents are the number one cause of unintentional death for teenagers. Teens have a lot on their minds. They are more impulsive, more prone to risk-taking, most often carry feelings of invincibility and invulnerability. They are very susceptible to peer pressure and irrational decisions, and for these reasons, the number of accidents involving teenage motorists is high.
Basic Driving Safety Tips
Consumer Reports magazine has come up with a number of tips for not only teenage drivers but also their parents in order to remind both generations of basic driving safety.
- Seat belts save lives. Use them, even if you’re in the backseat. Statistics show that 60 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were not wearing their seat belts at the time.
- Teens and texting; it’s an issue serious enough that there are cell phone blocking technologies that prevent teens from using their phones while driving. Parents can investigate apps or gadgets that disable a cell phone while the car is in motion and will send an immediate message to anyone trying to call or text that the teen is driving.
- Teens are at a greater risk for speeding than more experienced drivers. Many times they are unaware of how fast the vehicle is actually moving until it is too late.
- Alcohol-related accidents are a large contributor to teen deaths and injuries each year. Even though statistics show that teen motorists are actually less likely to drive after drinking than adults, because alcohol is absorbed differently by teens and impacts teenage drivers differently compared to adults, the risk for accidents is higher.
Have You Been Injured In A Texas Area Car Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a car accident you need to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our Bedford, Texas office directly at 817.440.3888 to schedule your free consultation. We help car accident victims throughout Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington as well as all areas of Texas.
