Parents of teens worry. Parents of teen drivers worry even more, and with good reason. Car crashes are the leading cause of death of teens, according to the CDC<\/a>. In 2016, more than 1,000 people died in car crashes involving teens between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to\u00a0AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety<\/a>. Fatal crashes involving teens increased by 14 percent in the summer. That means now is the time to talk about summer driving safety tips with your teens.<\/p>\n That good news is that teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and we can improve the safety of young drivers on the road. Here are some key points to make as we head into the summer season.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Remember, your teen is still a new driver, even if they’ve had their license a year. Parents need to continue to coach their teens on safe driving long after they’ve completed drivers ed and hit the road solo. They are inexperienced and need guidance. These safety conversations need to be ongoing.<\/p>\n That may sound dramatic, but it’s true. Taking your eyes off the road can have disastrous consequences. 60 percent of teen driving crashes involve distracted driving.<\/p>\n First and foremost, put the phone down. Better yet, turn it off and put it in the glove box or trunk or somewhere out of reach. For more info, tips and a virtual reality simulation that can make the split second consequences real to teens, check out the It Can Wait<\/a> website.<\/p>\n Help teens see that distracted driving typically involves devices but it can also be something like eating or applying makeup in the car. They need to focus on the road, nothing else.<\/p>\n Obeying the speed limit isn’t just legal driving, it’s safe driving. Of all motor vehicle\u00a0deaths\u00a0involving a teen driver, AAA reports that 29 percent of them involved speeding.<\/p>\n As parents, we are often in a rush. Emphasize to your kids that arriving safely is most important, even more so than being on time.<\/p>\nDon’t drive distracted – Distracted driving can be deadly driving<\/h4>\n
Slow down<\/h4>\n