We’re doing it again! This month we will have a second teen driver in the house! Much like the kids, I am terrified and excited all at the same time. I want my teens to love driving because I think it is important to not be a scared driver. But on the other hand, I want them to understand the immense responsibility drivers have every time they get behind the wheel. We teach our teens that every time they drive they are responsible for their lives and the lives of those around them — it’s serious!
How serious? In 2013, 2,524 teen drivers and passengers were killed1 and 177,000 teens were injured2 in car crashes! It is a heartbreaking number that continues to impact thousands of families every year.
Before we let our teens out on the road we want to know that we have done everything possible to inform and prevent them from being involved in an accident. That means taking as many steps as we can to reinforce their responsibility, avoid distractions, and be alert to dangers. One of the ways all parents can do this is with the help of Mercury Insurance. Mercury Insurance started the Drive Safe Challenge, an interactive website to provide teens with detailed safety instruction, as well as give parents tools to shape responsible driving behavior. The site features teen driving statistics, car-buying tips, including a list of the most affordable and safest vehicles for teens to insure, insurance advice, videos, road sign quizzes, a parent-teen driving contract, comprehensive break downs of Graduated Driver’s License Laws by State, and many other additional resources. It is a wealth of information and resources for parents of teens.
On the site we found more information than we could have ever known to look for about teen driving. Do you know the percentage of teens who are driving without a seat belt? What about DUI and driving distracted? The statistics were alarming! See them for yourself HERE. Afterwards print, discuss, and sign the Drive Safe Agreement from Mercury Insurance Drive Safe Challenge.
How will you teach your teen to Drive Safe?
Visit Mercury Insurance to learn more about the Drive Safe Challenge.
