Your local Cottman Man reminds parents with teen drivers that National Teen Driver Safety Week, which begins Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 25, is a good time for parents to talk with their young drivers and set some “rules of the road” that should accompany teens’ right to drive.
Teen Driving Advice
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers five rules it encourages parents to discuss with teens. Here are the “5 to Drive” teen driving safety tips:
- No drinking and driving. Nearly one in five young drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking, NHTSA statistics show.
- Buckle Up, every trip. Seat belts save lives. Nearly two-thirds of teen traffic fatalities were not using seat belts, according to the latest statistics.
- No texting or calls. Teens comprise the highest percentage of drivers who were distracted by calls or texts leading to fatal crashes.
- Don’t speed. Nearly a third of teen drivers in fatal crashes were speeding.
- No more than one passenger in a car driven by a teen. Other young people in the car is the biggest cause of teen distraction and the risk of a crash increases with each additional passenger.
“We urge parents to have the talk and set the rules of the road,” said Randy Wright, President of Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care, the national brand that services almost any make or model vehicle, domestic or foreign. “Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S., and a heart-to-heart family talk can help save lives and prevent needless tragedy.”
In 2013, the most recent year for statistics, 2,614 teenage drivers were involved in fatal crashes.
Teen Driver Safety Week Information
More information is available at the NHTSA website www.safercar.gov/parents. Free videos and information are also available from The National Road Safety Foundation at www.teenlane.org.