5 Tips for Parents and Teens for Safe Summer Driving

5 Tips for Parents and Teens for Safe Summer Driving

While summertime means longer days and warmer temperatures, it also means no school, and more teen drivers on the roads. As any parent knows and fears, many teens don’t have much experience driving, much less in adverse weather conditions or emergency situations. That’s why parents should take time to ensure their children have a strong understanding of how to be a safe behind the wheel. In addition to making better drivers, this extra preparation may create greater peace of mind for parents. Teens often spend extra time during the summer getting ahead in school, athletic camps or arts programs. Very rarely do they put the same amount of time and effort into practicing driving. While extremely common, and always exciting for teens, driving is also one of the most dangerous activities that teens engage in. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.

Consider a little extra practice with this critical skill. Here are five key tips that parents and teens should keep in mind when getting behind the wheel:

1. Practice Driving at Night

Though a majority of driving classes take place during the day, it is important for teens to practice driving in all conditions. Specifically, night driving poses a higher risk for teens. For every mile driven, the fatal crash rate for 16 to 19-year- olds driving at night is almost four times as high compared to daytime driving. Be sure to take your teen out at night to practice and improve their comfort level and confidence.

2. Limiting Distractions

While smartphones allow more people to multi-task, doing so while driving greatly increases the risk of accidents. According to a 2014 study by Distraction.gov, 3,179 people were killed in car accidents due to distracted drivers. To resist temptation, turn off the phone or pull over to accept incoming calls and texts.

3. Don’t Drink and Drive

While teens cannot yet legally consume alcohol, the NCADD stated in 2015 that a quarter of teen car crashes involved a driver under the influence of alcohol. This is sadly not surprising considering that the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has found that the rate of fatal crashes among alcohol–involved teen drivers is more than twice the rate for alcohol–involved drivers 21 and older. Remind your child of safe driving habits and options available to avoid driving while intoxicated or being a passenger of an intoxicated driver.

4. Get Friendly with the Break

With increased freedom and independence, young drivers can become over-confident, causing them to speed and pay less attention to the road. Over a third of teen fatal accidents are caused by speeding and lack of caution. Be sure your teen practices safe driving habits by keeping an eye out for road hazards and is aware of changing speed limits in residential, school and rural

5. Always Wear a Seatbelt

Even if your teen is practicing safe driving, unfortunately, unexpected accidents can still happen. Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most effective ways to save your teen’s life. Though wearing a seatbelt might not look “cool,” it will help save your teen from more disastrous injuries incurred from a car accident.

Most parents don’t think twice about enrolling their child in a sports camp over the summer, because it will help them in athletic pursuits, be fun and maybe even help with a scholarship. Consider spending the same amount of time and resources on a driving program as you would on a sports or art camp for your child, to help ensure that your teen is a safer driver for this rest of

West Bend Mutual Insurance Company is a leading insurance provider in Southeastern Wisconsin, where it insures thousands of drivers. To promote safe driving skills, West Bend supports Road America’s Teen Driving School, an advanced program that focuses on skills not taught in driver education courses, putting new drivers in common emergency situations in a safe, controlled, off-street environment. Because they feel these programs are so important, West Bend offers significant discounts to its policyholders. Classes begin in July and run through October 2016. Online registration is available at www.roadamerica.com. To learn more about a tuition subsidy for the driving school, visit www.thesilverlining.com.

Jim Schwalen is the vice president of personal lines and marketing at West Bend Mutual Insurance Company.