My teenage daughter is ready to hit the road but as a mom, I’m concerned she doesn’t know how dangerous driving can be. Thanks to Mercury Insurance’s #DriveSafechallenge I think my daughter will be much more prepared when she gets her driver’s license.
Last week at the Honda Center of Anaheim, teens were put to the test in different driving scenarios. Mercury insurance created an obstacle course that put them in dangerous driving situations. While driving with instructors, they were distracted with phone calls, texts, and talking to friends. They also learned how to take control of the car while skidding, and learned how to make sharp turns in an emergency. These were all very valuable lessons, and parents learned too!
Sponsored: Thank you Mercury Insurance for sponsoring this post. All opinions and experiences are our own.
Here are some important facts teens and parents should know before your kid gets behind the wheel.
- Teenagers raise their risk for an accident by every increment they go over the speed limit. So yes, the speed limit is extremely important. In order to prevent collisions, your teen should cautiously maintain the designated speed ALWAYS.
- Statistics show 16-17 year olds are more at risk for a deadly collision with each additional passenger. Your child should definitely not be driving with minors in the car 6 months after they’re licensed (it is illegal, and just extremely dangerous!)
- 16 year olds have higher crash rates then any other other range. Now this is just natural – as teenagers are more inexperienced when it comes to driving. We should encourage our teens to drive distraction free, and have consequences for reckless driving.
- 44% of teens said they would definitely speak up if someone were driving in a way that scared them. Parents need to teach their kids to speak up, because an accident isn’t worth being nice.
- Teen drivers with involved parents are twice as likely to wear seat belts. Teens need to be responsible even when their parents are not in the vehicle.
- More than 40% of teen of deaths occur when driving between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- Talking on a cell phone can double the likelihood of an accident as well as slow a young driver’s reaction time down to that of a 70-year-old elderly person. (Scary but true)
- 1 in 5 of 16-year-old new drivers has an accident within their first year of driving.
- 6% of teenagers rely on their parents to learn how to drive. So parents teach the well!
After this challenge, my daughter and I talked about all the possible obstacles and challenges she may face as a new driver. Driving is a privilege, and it’s important to open the line of communication with your teen drivers and set the expectations upfront.
Stay Safe!
