October 18, 2024
While parenting can be tricky at any life stage, parents inevitably face a range of new challenges when their kids become teenagers and start driving. You want your teen to enjoy their newfound independence, but how do you make sure they stay safe behind the wheel? In observance of Teen Driver Safety Week (October 20 - 26), COUNTRY Financial wants to help parents protect their teen drivers.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (ages 15–18) in the U.S. Statistics like these can make it tough to want to hand over the keys to your new teen driver, but the good news is that many of these accidents are preventable. COUNTRY Financial is here to help you prepare your teenager to be a safe driver for life.
“From smartphones to touch screen monitors and satellite radio, we’re surrounded by more distracting technology in our cars than ever before,” said Lois She-Tom, Director of Auto Product at COUNTRY.
A split-second glance at a screen can end in tragedy for your teenager, their passengers, and other drivers, so make sure you talk to your teen about having a strategy in place for keeping their eyes on the road. For example, many smartphones will automatically disable incoming texts while the car is moving so your teen won’t be tempted to look at their phone.
Every time your teenager gets in their car, they should go through a mental checklist of tasks before even starting the ignition. “In addition to fundamental safety precautions like checking mirrors and buckling seatbelts, they should also set up set up a GPS map of their route and queue up their playlist,” said She-Tom. Taking these simple steps before they leave—rather than while they’re on the way—can help make sure they get there safely.
Teens are often tempted to speed, run red lights, roll through stop signs, and otherwise break the law while driving. Make sure they understand that being on time—even if it’s for school or their curfew—is never worth risking their safety on the road. If you’re looking for some extra peace of mind, there are a number of apps available that can alert you if your teen is driving faster than a speed limit you determine.
“It’s true that teen drivers are often more expensive to insure, since historical evidence shows they have higher accident rates than adults,” says She-Tom. Talk with your insurance representative about potential discounts and programs that can help cut costs, such as driver safety courses, a telematics discount tool on your phone such as COUNTRY Financial DriverIQ and good student discounts.
COUNTRY Financial® is a family of affiliated companies (collectively, COUNTRY) located in Bloomington, IL. Learn more about who we are.