Surprising Risks for Teen Passengers
Here are six more tips to help you and your teen understand the dangers of being a passenger in a vehicle driven by a peer.
Passenger risk is real. More than half of teen car crash fatalities weren’t the drivers. Read on for tips that can help you teach your teens to be safety-minded passengers!
When teens start driving, chances are their friends are learning to drive, too – which means, at some point, your teen will likely become a passenger in a car driven by someone without much experience. And peer passengers are yet another distraction teen drivers just don’t have enough experience to manage effectively!
Teen passengers can lower this risk by limiting distractions, respecting the driver and always wearing their seat belt. Here are six more tips to help you and your teen understand the dangers of being a passenger in a vehicle driven by a peer.
Talk about how to be a safe passenger.
Distracted driving is a major cause of crashes, and passenger distractions are particularly dangers for new drivers. Talk to your teen about helpful passenger behaviors, such as reading directions when asked, respecting the driver by staying buckled in your seat and chatting or playing music too loud.
Insist on seat belts.
Most adolescent passengers who die in crashes aren’t wearing seat belts. Make sure your teen understands that by buckling up, they are helping protect their friends’ lives, as well as their own. In a crash, an unrestrained body can hurt others in the car, too!
Don’t let your teen ride with a driver who has less than a year of experience.
Most teen crashes are a result of “rookie” mistakes. Even the most mature teen needs time to gain driving experience through adult-supervised driving. Make sure you are aware of the experiences of your teen’s friends!
Pay attention.
To help your teen make good safety decisions, keep the lines of communication open. Know where they are going, why, with who, and discuss how they will get there and when they’ll be home. Provide alternatives, like rides, to allow them to avoid unsafe driving situations.
Create a code word.
You and your teen should establish a code word, just in case they need to get out of an unsafe situation. With this agreed-upon code word, you are promising that upon reading or hearing this code word, you will be pick them up right away; no matter what the circumstances.
Lead by example.
Always wear your seat belt. Avoid talking or texting on your cell phone while driving. Follow the rules of the road; don’t speed, stop fully at stop signs, etc.
With proper planning, mutual respect and prioritizing safety, your teen can help reduce the startling statistics of fatal teen crashes as passengers.
This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not legal advice and/or an authoritative guide.