This October, recognize National Teen Driver Safety Week by encouraging your teen to adopt safe driving habits. Congress designates this week as a time to raise awareness of the importance of safe teen driving and the prevention of auto accidents involving teenagers.
According to teendriversource.org (a website created by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute), the teen car crash fatality rate between 2009 and 2010 was 17 deaths per 100,000 teens in South Carolina.
Many things can influence a teen’s risk of getting in an accident. Consider these statistics from teendriversource.org:
- Cell phone use – 9 out of 10 teens reported that they commonly see other teens driving while talking on a cell phone.
- Fatigue – teen drivers who sleep less than 8 hours a night are one-third more likely to get in an accident than teen drivers who get 8 or more hours of sleep a night.
- Intoxication – Teenagers are less likely than adults to drive drunk, but their accident risk is much higher when they do drink and drive.
- Nighttime driving – The rate of fatal auto accidents among 16 year olds is almost twice as high at night.
As a parent, you can help prevent your teen from getting in an accident by setting a good example. Avoid distractions such as texting or talking on a cell phone while you are driving, and show your teen that you always wear a seatbelt when you’re driving.
If you are searching for an experienced Columbia auto accident attorney or an attorney in the surrounding areas, please contact McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates for a free case evaluation and to learn more about our lawyers.