Young drivers, particularly teenagers, are still the listed high risk group reported to have the most number of auto insurance claims. State government and concerned parents and guardians continue to advise their teenage driver children to stay clear of things that might cause them to be involved in car crash accidents.
In the 2008 report of the Insurance Institute for highway Safety, sixteen-year-old teenagers is the group that has the highest risk of getting involved into auto accidents. Around 4000 teenagers of the age range 13 to 19 had died in motor vehicle crashes in the same year. Vehicular accident continues to be the leading and number one cause of teenage death.
The problem that causes the accidents is mostly due to multitasking or distractions.
Edmunds.com has recently reported that the top reason teenagers get distracted is the use of cellular phones while driving. Especially when texting, teenagers can get into a crash even just for a one-second glance on their phones. Other distraction reported was playing music too loud. Others would also point that map reading can sometimes cause teenage death. This will also require drivers to keep off their eyes from the road quickly making them exposed to the risk of getting involved in a car crash. Edmunds.com also reported that teenagers are also likely to be involved in a car accident when they drive angrily.
Teenagers were advised to keep distance from things that would make them angry. Or if they already are, they should at least wait for a while until their heart calms before getting on their cars and driving down the roads. The government also tells and not just advises teenagers to wait until they finished parking before getting their cellular phones and start texting.
State laws that ban the use of cellular phones and hand held gadgets have been implemented by more than 15 states in the United States. The number is increasing as the concerns for teenage crash incidents are growing. Some state laws ban only texting while driving because many people claim that they can still keep their eyes on the road while they speak on the phone. Other state laws strictly prohibit the use of cellular phones and hand held gadgets while driving whether it is used for texting or calling.
Teenagers should also be given lectures by their parents for advisory. Parents should set up certain household rules that can help reduce the possibilities of their teenage children getting into accidents. Rules such as curfews and no-cars policies should be implemented. Parents should only provide their children with cars only under certain conditions and place the terms in a “driving contract”. Both parties must comply and agree on the consequences if not abided.
Teenagers should also enroll themselves with safe driving courses while they are still young. Programs such as defensive programs are worth to be enrolled in to increase the driving skills of the teenagers. Parents are also advised to watch the progress of their children so they would know how to trust their children more. It would only take a few hours to complete the courses.
