Nashville Auto Accident Lawyer Shares Important Information To Help You Protect Your Teen Driver
Protect Your Teen Drivers
As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I have a dread of this time of year. It seems to me that teens making the transition from high school to college become headlines in the news stories relating horrific fatal traffic accidents. Over the many years I have been in practice I have counseled with so many parents I couldn’t possibly count them, whose children have been seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee auto collision caused by a teen driver.
One of the reasons I spend my time writing these blogs is that I want to remind Tennessee drivers of the dangers that we all face as we take a motor vehicle out on the highways and byways of Tennessee. I recently found something from the Allstate Foundation, an independent, private, non-profit organization funded by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation, that I think is a must read for every Tennessee parent.
Learning to drive is a critical milestone in a teen’s life and one in which parents should play an active role. Here are some suggestions:
• Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks anresponsibilities of driving with your child at a young age and keep talking to your teen before, during and after the licensing process.
• Determine if your teen is ready to drive. Not all teens are ready to drive when the law says they can. Driving is a privilege, not a right.
• Don’t rush the process. Just because teens have a permit or license, doesn’t mean they are ready for every driving condition.
• Maximize driver education experience. Seek tips from parents and teens who have recently participated in driver education programs. Remember, driver education is merely a first step in the process. Parents should provide the bulk of supervised driving practice and discussion before, during and after licensure.
• Understand your state’s laws. Every state has Graduated Driver Licensing laws to help new drivers get their initial on-the-road driving experience under lower-risk conditions. Familiarize yourself and your teen with these requirements, and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your teen may drive.
• Empower your teen. Being a passenger in another teen’s car can put your teen at risk. Peer pressure among teens can be both positive and negative. Reinforce how important it is that your teen speaks up in dangerous situations.
• Exert positive peer pressure. Encourage other parents to set appropriate rules for their teens so you can present a united front.
• Practice what you preach. Your teen is more likely to be a calm and courteous driver, wear a seat belt and follow the rules of the road if they see you do the same.
Take action and visit www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com to find:
• Complete survey findings
• Downloadable parent-teen driving agreement
• State-by-state Graduated Driver Licensing laws
• Tips for:
– Talking to your teen and other parents about this issue
– Determining if your teen is ready to drive
– Teaching your teen to drive
– Selecting and maximizing the driver education experience
– Encouraging your teen’s high school to help create a safe driving culture
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.
Phillip Miller is a Tennessee Accident Attorney specializing in
Phillip has an AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb), has been designated as a “Superlawyer”, and is the President Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
Click Here to Contact Phillip
