Talk To Your Teen Drivers

According to the National Safety Council, the way parents communicate rules and monitor teens’ driving could reduce the chances that teens will take part in risky driving behavior and be involved in a crash, according to research conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Younger drivers, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), agree 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, which contribute to the increased death rate.

As part of CIRP’s Young Driver Research Initiative, researchers released findings from two studies on September 28, 2009. According to a study abstract, the first study shows teens who had supportive parents who established rules were:

•Half as likely to be involved in a crash

•71 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated

•Less likely to use a cell phone while driving

•More likely to use seat belts

The second study shows teens who reported being the main driver of a vehicle were more likely to get in a crash than teens who shared a vehicle with other family members. Researchers also noted the effectiveness of graduated driver licensing laws in reducing teen crash rates during the first six to 12 months of driving.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Download the research at www.research. chop.edu/programs/youngdriver/docs/NYDSReport2.pdf.

Distracted Teen Driver

For twenty three million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. The greatest risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is essential that adults and children know traffic safety rules.

As reported by Knoxville TV station WATE Channel 6, it was a Tuesday afternoon in October, a day like any other, when 8^th grader Erin Burman exited her school bus. Moments later she was struck by a car driven by a teen-aged girl who was talking on her cell phone and distracted to the point where she failed to stop for the school bus, even though it had it’s emergency lights on, and the driver, who saw the distracted teen, was blowing the bus horn. This teen driver appeared to be totally oblivious to the fact that she was driving a motor vehicle.

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

Younger drivers, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), agree 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 take risks, most often speeding, which contribute to the increased death rate.

In addition to laws, safety experts agree that parents also 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 by a teen driver in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. The Nashville automobile accident, personal injury law firm of Phillip Miller & Associates is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.