Car Crashes Number One Cause of Death in Teen Drivers
17 Aug 2015Car accidents are the leading cause of death in US teens, killing just about as many drivers as passengers, as well as killing more young adults than suicide or homicide, a new study finds.
Paid through the General Motors Foundation, the new ‘Teens in Cars’ report from Safe Kids Worldwide was based on the national survey involving 1000 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 answering questions about their attitudes about road safety.
More than 2400 teens died in motor vehicle accidents in 2012 on US roads. A little over half of the young adults killed, 56 percent were the driver of the vehicle, 44 percent were the passenger. Over half of those killed were not wearing seat belts, according to the study.
Although this study didn’t cite telephoning or texting as being the cause of the car accidents, it did state that around 40 percent of teens polled revealed they had been passengers in vehicles driven by teenagers who were either talking on the phone or texting. Out of the respondents, only 10 percent said they had been in a car that was driven by a teen that was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Over 2600 adolescents in the US in 2011 between the ages of 16 and 19 were killed and nearly 292,000 received treatments in an emergency facility for injuries sustained in a vehicle crash. This means that seven teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 die each day from car injuries.
If you are a parent who is panicked by these statistics, there are ways that you can monitor your loved
one’s driving while they gain more experience. GPS teen tracking is one option.
Benefits of a GPS Teen Tracking
You might think that as soon as your teen is old enough to get around without getting lost, there is less for you to worry about. However, you have a whole new set of concerns once they begin driving.
With a GPS tracking device installed in your teenager’s car, you can not only monitor where she is going when driving, but also her speed. Even though you might feel as though you are invading your teen’s privacy or showing a lack of trust in them, it is still better to have them resent you a little if you are still keeping them safe, right?
Research indicates that young adults don’t drive safely because they fear they will crash; they do so because they fear they will get a speeding ticket. If your teenager is aware that you are monitoring their driving through GPS tracking, they will likely take less risks and drive safer.
Other Ways to Keep Teens Safe When Driving
Talk to them about the dangers of talking on their phone or texting while driving; ensure they don’t.
Enforce a seat belt rule; they need to wear them at all times or they don’t drive.
Talk to them about the dangers of drinking and driving.
Don’t let them drive at night.
Don’t allow other teenagers in the car with them while they are driving.
Parents need to have a careful balance between protecting their children and fostering independence. By understanding what your young adult needs to know and figuring out the right way to deliver it, you will instill smart decision making into your teenager.
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