Dangerous habits of teens while driving can lead to road accidents. A 2016 study indicates teens are 1.5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than adults.
Although driving lessons will teach your teenager about the fundamentals of safe driving, their habits while driving are just as important. Instilling safety driving practices can help reduce these risks of road accidents.
Here are four of the most common bad habits of teens while driving.
Phone Usage
A study by Liberty Mutual Insurance indicated teens often feel pressure to respond immediately to texts or social media messages.
The distraction of a phone puts them at the risk of getting involved in an accident. Setting rules for your teens phone usage can be crucial in improving their road safety habits.
Other Passengers
While adults may have the experience and focus especially during the carpool commute, teens often don’t have the same resolve. A study by AAA indicates 15% of accidents caused by teens are exacerbated by the presence of passengers.
This is the most common contributing factor to road accidents involving teenagers. Limiting the passengers in your teens car is a short-term solution.
Instead, while they are your passenger, instill some driving safety practices.
Loud Music
Loud music while driving can be dangerous as it drowns out the road noise we use as safety cues while we’re driving. A blaring stereo can block the sound of emergency sirens and horns.
The act of concentrating on the music can also distract them from focusing on the road. Also, when the volume of the music is loud, people are more likely to want to dance and sing along to it.
They might be strumming their hands as if they are playing air guitar or banging their heads to a good beat. Although there is nothing wrong with doing that in moderation, it can become a distraction.
Grooming
Keeping up personal appearance is a huge part of high school life. However, it’s something should be done at home and not on the road.
Engaging in personal grooming while driving will take their attention off the road. To help with this, make sure your teen has the time they need to properly get ready.
Encourage your teen to keep makeup combs, and other personal care accessories either in the car’s glovebox or their backpack until the vehicle has completely stopped.
Unfortunately, some accidents can’t be avoided, and a car accident law attorney will be useful. Always remember the best way to instill positive habits in your teens is to set a good example for safe driving practices.
Distracted driving is one of the biggest problems on the road. Many teens tend to get distracted while behind the wheel because of their smartphone ringing or alerting them they’ve received a text message.
This is very true of teen drivers, who are far more likely to reach for their phone while behind the wheel of a vehicle. If you’re a parent of a young driver, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep him or her safe.
Here are a few apps you’ll want to investigate that can help keep your teen safe while driving.
