Practice Teen Driver Safety

A message to teen drivers from the National Highway Traffic Administration for National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 17-24, 2010; Keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road, and both (hands and eyes) away from your cell phone while driving.

The NHTSA has developed a multi-tiered strategy to prevent motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries among teen drivers: increasing seat belt use, implementing graduated driver licensing, reducing teens’ access to alcohol, and parental responsibility.

The heart of NHTSA’s mission is keeping families safe on America’s roadways. Young drivers, ages 15- to 20-years old, are especially vulnerable to death and injury on our roadways – traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

Research shows which behaviors contribute to teen-related crashes. Inexperience and immaturity combined with speed, drinking and driving, not wearing seat belts, distracted driving (cell phone use, loud music, other teen passengers, etc.), drowsy driving, nighttime driving, and other drug use aggravate this problem.

In addition to laws, safety experts agree that parents play a key role in helping teens become good drivers. Parents should not rely solely on drivers education classes to teach good driving habits and should restrict night driving, restrict the numbers of passengers riding with their teen, supervise practice driving, always require use of seat belts and choose vehicles for safety, not image. Parents can also set a good example by practicing safe driving techniques themselves.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Teen Drivers

A small East Tennessee town was rocked to the core by the report of a firey automobile accident that claimed the life of two local teens and left two other in serious condition. The driver, a 16-year-old boy and his passenger, a 14-year-old girl died at the scene of the single car crash. The vehicle crossed the centerline, ran off the road to the left, struck a tree and overturned on impact. Investigators were not sure if the children were wearing seatbelts.

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59. The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I have seen far too many teen traffic deaths and I strongly encourage parents to be realistic about the skills and propensities of their children. It’s a time of excitement and dread for every parent, the time when their precious little Bobby or Betty reaches the age when they can drive. Excitement because their child is growing up and the parents can relinquish to job of being the chauffeur for their busy teens and dread because the know in their heart of hearts the dangers that teen drivers face as they take to the highways and byways.

In addition to laws, safety experts agree that parents play a key role in helping teens become good drivers. Parents should not rely solely on drivers education classes to teach good driving habits and should restrict night driving, restrict the numbers of passengers riding with their teen, supervise practice driving, always require use of seat belts and choose vehicles for safety, not image. Parents can also set a good example by practicing safe driving techniques themselves.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Guide Your Teen On A Dangerous Journey

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I can tell you straight up, it’s not just good parenting, it’s a matter of life and death. Parents need to talk to their kids about traffic safety early and often, even well before they are old enough to drive. When your teen begins driving, we recommend that you set rules and then clearly outline the consequences of breaking the rules.

We know that getting through to your teen can be tough, but research tells us that teens listen to their parents, and that you influence your kid’s driving habits. Remind your teenager that driving is a privilege – a privilege they will lose if they don’t drive by your rules.

Don’t presume to rely on high school drivers education or private lessons to insure that your child will become a safe driver. Set the standard you need to teach safe driving behavior from the beginning. As the parent, you can start by modeling safe driving behavior anytime you drive your kids anywhere, even before they begin to drive. In fact, you can start when they are toddlers in car seats.

Make games out of teaching toddlers about red light green light. Teach them to identify speed limit signs, stop sign and follow the rules yourself. If you talk on your cell phone while you are driving, you are putting your child’s life in danger and you are teaching your child a bad habit that one day might cause her to lose her life or take the life of others.

Talk to your teen about safety issues and the rules you are setting. Explain each one of your rules and the consequences for breaking it. Write up a contract with your teen driver to make sure they drive by the rules and drive as safely as possible. Include the most important issues.

Never forget that more than 5,000 teens (15 – 20 years old) are killed in crashes on our roadways every year. Talk to your young drivers about their driving before and after they have their permit or license. Set the rules for driving and explain the consequences of breaking the rules. In fact, your house rules can be tougher than the GDL laws, based on your assessment of your teen.

To learn more about this and other safe driving issues you can rely on the Tennessee auto accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates, Visit our web site at www.seriousinjury.com

The High Price Of Teen Drinking

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I’d like to take this opportunity to talk to the parent’s of teen drivers about an issue that I feel needs to be addressed. That issue is alcohol and driving. Rule No. 1: Absolutely No Alcohol. Teen drivers (ages 15-20) are at far greater risk of death in crashes where alcohol was present than the rest of us, even though they cannot legally purchase or possess alcohol.

The statistics are staggering. In 2007, almost one-third of teen drivers who were killed in crashes had a positive BAC of .01 or higher at the time of the crash, even though it is illegal in all states for anyone under the age of 21 to drive with any trace of alcohol in their system.  On average over the last five years, one-fourth (25%) of the deaths in motor vehicle traffic crashes occurred when a teen driver had a BAC of .01 or higher.

Teach your children that the consequences are grim. If your teenager is lucky enough to survive a crash, they will have to face the consequences of breaking the law. That includes a trip to jail, the loss of their driver’s license, and dozens of other expenses including attorney fees, court costs, and other fines. They will also stand to lose academic eligibility, college acceptance, scholarship awards, and more. Let me reiterate, if they get a DUI they can, and often are, denied any and all grants, scholarships or student loans.

In the event one of their peers or another driver dies they will have to stand for that act for life. My friends, this is some serious business and if you don’t make this clear to your child you are likely to face a lawsuit that put everything you have worked for in jeopardy.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a serious Tennessee car accident due to somebody else’s negligence, then you may be feeling angry, frightened, or even alone in your suffering.

There is no reason for you to bear your burden alone.  The experience of a Tennessee auto accident is traumatic enough and your recovery will bring its own challenges.  You don’t need the added stress of worrying about who will pay for the medical care you need, how your car will be repaired, and if the individuals responsible for your suffering will be brought to justice.  This is the time to call Phillip Miller & Associates, the law firm of local Tennessee attorneys and staff who for the past 25 years have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of injured men, women, and children in Tennessee.

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.

Teach Your Children Well

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I regularly use my Blog “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” to remind parents that ultimately it is their responsibility to oversee their teenagers driver training. Parental training isn’t only a couple of weekends in a vacant parking lot, or simply writing a check to a driver education company, parental training begins when your children are small. A good example, is a parent who uses seatbelts, drives the speed limit, yields to other drivers, is the most effective and lasting way to insure that your child will grow into a culture of safety.

On the other hand, a parent can assure that his/her child will grow up with utter disregard for others on the highways and byways. Reference an article on the website of the Kingsport Times-News about a young man drag racing in a hopped up Mustang with a man in a Corvette. The race went wrong when the young man in the Mustang lost control, went airborne, and rolled through a busy parking lot striking and damaging several vehicles. Through the grace of God no one was killed.

The Corvette driver fled the scene, but the irony is that the Corvette belonged to the Mustang boys father. Police believe the father and son were drag racing. Back to what I was saying earlier about parental guidance and good examples, what kind of parent flees the scene of a violent accident involving their child. This parent is definitely a candidate for the “Worst Tennessee Driver of 2010”.

If you, a family member, or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident by a driver like either one of these two bozos you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.