How to Avoid Trouble On the Road

Unsettling facts for parents: • Car crash injuries are by far the leading

public health problem for teenagers. • More teenage passenger deaths occur with

a 16-year-old driving than with a driver of any other age.

Q: What’s the silver lining? A: You can make a difference.

You’ll learn … • Why teenagers will always drive the way

teenagers have always driven. • What the typical serious accident looks like for a

16- or 17-year-old driver. • What can be done to beat the odds, and how

parents can help. • Why being a passenger is more dangerous than

being a driver. • What 18-year-olds will tell you about driving if

you ask them.

The challenge of teen driving

Inexperience = little skill

What is it about teenagers? • They’re more willing to take risks • More independent, contrary, defiant • More likely to overestimate their abilities

(physically, they’re at their peak)

• More likely to underestimate the danger • Less skilled to cope with the danger • Emotions overwhelm education

High risk of accidents on prom night. • teens more likely to drink (1/3 of alcohol-

related deaths occur at prom, graduation) • nerves and excitement • uncomfortable clothes, distractions

Win-win solution for you and teens: chip in and rent a limousine.

A typical serious accident for 16- & 17-year-olds • One-car accident • Caused by speed or inattention • Hitting a pole or tree • At night • Smaller cars, older cars • Usually no alcohol

Key accident factors • Teenage passengers • Late at night • Two-lane road • Distractions in car—music, cell phone, etc. • No seatbelt The more of those you can avoid, the better your odds.

Contributing factors to teen at-fault crashes • Didn’t detect other car or traffic signal • Lost control of car, in general • Slippery road • Misjudged following distance The more of those you can avoid, the better your odds.

How to beat the odds, and how parents can help • Comply with the graduated licensing law. • Use the same concept for introducing other

hazards and distractions—driving after dark, with music, on rural or unfamiliar roads, with food, etc. (set your own ‘house rules’)

• Use what works for you—rewards, punishment, contracts, etc.

• Stay involved after they have their license.

www.iihs.org

“No law or rule can substitute for good parental oversight, any time of year.” – Bob Calkins, Washington State Patrol

Why being a passenger is more dangerous than being a driver

• Because you aren’t driving. • You have no control over the car. You’re

now at the mercy of another beginner or novice driver.

How to be a better passenger • Don’t ride with someone a second time if you

didn’t like the way he or she drove the first time. • Wear a seat belt, even if no one else will. • Let the driver concentrate. Don’t encourage

speed, loud music, throwing objects, etc. • Avoid alcohol, even as a passenger. It increases

rowdiness and distractions.

What 18-year-olds will tell you about driving if you ask them • Buy a gutless car — when my van died, my parents bought

me a small car with a 4-cylinder engine. Smart move on their part.

• Driving class ‘scares you straight’ and teaches you to pass the written test, but you learn to drive during your time with your parents — that’s where you get comfortable, develop muscle memory, etc.

• Advice to parents — don’t lay down black and white rules. It turns off communication. Talk about options if you do get in trouble. What can you say to your friends to defuse the situation? Who can you call? What will happen if you do?

Want to learn more?

That’s just a tiny sample of our full presentation. To learn more, schedule a speaker from PEMCO to come speak to your class or PTSA. We can accommodate most requests in the Puget Sound area, and some requests statewide. Contact: jonosterberg@pemco.com

The most important piece of safety equipment in any vehicle is the one behind the wheel.