• March 13, 2019
• CMZ Law
• no comments

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has dubbed summer the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers.  During the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, teens take to the roads in high numbers, leading to soaring rates of teen accidents.  It is anticipated that at least ten accidents involving teens will occur each day during the summer time, which represents an over 15 percent increase from school time accident rates.  Our Texas car accident attorneys at Chandler, Mathis & Zivley, PC, offer some tips for encouraging your teen to drive safely.

Teen accident statistics can be frightening for any parent, but the good news is there are steps you can take as a parent to encourage your teen driver to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner.  You can help your teen become a safe driver by enforcing the following:

1. Never text and drive:  Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous behaviors any driver can engage in.  Texting drags a driver’s eyes, attention, and hands off the road ahead for several seconds at a time, easily leading to an accident.  Teens are notoriously glued to their phones, making it imperative that you educate your teen about the dangers of texting while driving.
2. Abide by a safe driving contract:  Draft an agreement between you and your teen, or find one of the many agreements online, in which your teen pledges to follow the rules of the road.  Your contract could include punishments for being caught speeding, texting, or drinking and driving, such as revocation of driving privileges. 
3. Drive solo:  Driving with passengers doubles your teen’s risk of an accident.  Never allow your new driver to drive his or her friends around.  You should be the only one to ride with your teen for a lengthy period of time after he or she obtains a driver’s license. 
4. Enroll in a defensive driving course:  Driving requires motor skills and good judgment.  You can help your teen to develop the critical skills needed for safe driving by enrolling him or her in a defensive driver or other safety related course.  A defensive driving course will ensure your teen knows the basic of safe driving, such as maintaining a safe following distance.

If your teen is injured in an accident or you have been injured by a teen driver, contact a motor vehicle accident lawyer right away to protect your legal rights.