How to Keep Teen Drivers Safe This Summer

As summer break nears, young drivers will hit the road more often with prom and graduation season in full gear. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is urging young drivers to stay focused on the roads and avoid any distractions.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the season, but a moment of distraction or carelessness behind the wheel can have permanent and tragic consequences,” said Barry J. Schoch, P.E., PennDOT secretary. “Driving is a complex activity requiring motorists to make split-second decisions and intricate maneuvers; skills that suffer greatly whenever a driver is distracted or under the influence.”

According to PennDOT, there were 114,627 crashes in Pennsylvania involving 16- to 19-year-old drivers from 2006 to 2010. Many of those crashes, said PennDOT, were due to speeding, driving too fast for conditions, driver inexperience, driver distraction and improper or careless turning.

In addition, many of those crashes, specifically 3,386, involved teen drivers who were driving under the influence (DUI), particularly alcohol.

"Pennsylvania’s Zero Tolerance Law carries serious consequences for those under 21 who consume any amount of alcohol," states PennDOT.

The state limit for minors is set at .02 blood alcohol content. Anything above the state-allowed limit for minors may result in a DUI charge. If convicted of DUI, the young driver could face a jail term of two days to six months, have their license suspended for at least one year and pay a fine of $500 to $5,00, according to PennDOT.

Newtown police Sgt. Chris Lunn issued out some helpful tips for parents of teen drivers to help mitigate any of these consequences.

"With school letting out soon and summer fast approaching, teenage drivers will be spending more time on the road," stated Lunn in a press release. "Let’s help those teenage drivers have a great and safe summer."

The best way to teach your child safe driving habits is being a positive role model on the road for your child.

"A parent’s teaching his or her teen driver to be careful and safe can determine the new driver’s success and safety behind the wheel," said Lunn. "Children mimic their parents, and if a parent's driving hasn’t been good, neither will be the child’s. Maintain positive influence by addressing with your teen driver the following driving issues encountered on the road. Continually stress that driving is a privilege, not a right, and breaking rules forfeits privileges."

Read below to avoid any future issues that your teen may encounter on the road, as provided by Lunn:

Inexperience–A license provides approval but not experience. Provide experience that breeds safety and success by devoting to your teen driver at least 50 hours of supervised practice under varied conditions in order to mitigate the three most critical inexperience errors: lack of scanning for hazard detection and response, driving too fast for road conditions, and being distracted.

Peer Pressure–Counter teen peer pressure by providing an excuse for your teen driver to avert potentially dangerous situations that result from friends' actions.  Instruct your teen driver to blame you for rejecting a ride or other risky situation.  Also, consider devising a catch phrase (“Are the Phillies playing?”) that indicates you are needed immediately without the teen losing face in front of friends.

Seat Belt Use–Teens “forget” to buckle up. Two-thirds of teens killed in crashes fail to wear seat belts, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But teen drivers who grew up watching their parents buckle up are more likely to do so.  Demonstration trumps barking orders.

Cell Phones (Talking and Texting)–A teen driver’s reaction time slows to that of a 70 year-old when distracted by any cell phone engagement, increasing the crash risk four-fold, according to Children Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) research. Ban the teen from using a cell phone when driving, but offer alternatives: use the phone only before leaving or after arriving, and pull over to the side of the road for urgent calls. Again, practice what you preach. 

Speeding–Youth may be wasted on the young, but speed isn’t. CHOP research shows that half of surveyed teens admit to sometimes driving more than 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Such an increase reduces reaction time, shortens stopping distance, nearly doubles the collision energy involved in crashes and is a leading cause of crashes. 

Visit www.DriveSafePA.org and select the "Young Driver" link under the Traffic Safety Information Center for more information on safe driving for young drivers.