Teen Traffic Safety Tactics

From the President’s Desk

Recently, a colleague and I were talking about having teen drivers in the house. Anyone who’s been through it knows it’s a time of transition for both parents and kids. While a driver’s license offers a new freedom to teens, it can also be a source of concern for parents.

My colleague recounted the sad time, during her high school days, when her brother’s friend was killed in a car crash. It was summer, and alcohol was involved. Had her brother not been called into work that night, he would have been in the car. Thirty years later, car crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for teens.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, known as the “100 Deadliest Days,” more people are killed in car crashes involving teen drivers. Most involve distractions behind the wheel, with speed and nighttime driving being other contributing factors. As new drivers, many teens don’t fully realize how serious these factors – and their consequences – can be.

AAA encourages parents and loved ones to educate our teens about risky driving behavior. Consider the following options.

• Visit AAA.com/TeenDriving for helpful tools to prepare you and your teen for the road ahead.
• Discuss early and often the dangers of risky driving situations such as speeding, distractions, nighttime driving and alcohol use.
• Teach by example and minimize your own risky behavior when behind the wheel.
• Create a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers. Consider setting driving limits and enforce those limits.

Even if you don’t have a teen in your household, you can help increase awareness around the 100 Deadliest Days. Visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to find more information, and be sure to use #100DeadliestDays to be part of the conversation.

Together, we can help our teen drivers stay safe as they explore the new freedom a license provides.

— John Galvin

Find teen driver tips. AAA.com/TeenDriving

Join the conversation. #100DeadliestDays