New Year's Resolution for parents: Talk to teens about reducing risk of car accidents in Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral
If you want to make a New Year's resolution that counts, our Fort Myers car accident attorneys urge you to speak with your teenagers about the importance of making good driving decisions. Reducing your teen's risk of a car accident in Naples, Cape Coral or elsewhere in South Florida could be the best move you can make as we enter 2011.
Safe Kids USA and the General Motors Foundation is launching Countdown2Drive, a national campaign aimed at equipping teenagers ages 13 and 14 -- as well as their parents -- with safety information well before the teen is eligible to drive legally. The effort is aimed at reducing the risk of serious or fatal accidents among young drivers, where the statistics are anything but encouraging.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers -- both those ages 15 to 20 and those not yet old enough to drive. In 2008, almost 6,000 young drivers were involved in fatal accidents. Florida car accidents involving young drivers accounted for 516 deaths that year.
"Our goal is to educate young teens, as they begin to transition from passengers to drivers," said John Formisano, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. "Our research shows teen pre-drivers are eager to learn, and they are focused on the freedom a driver's license and access to a car can provide. By preparing them to be good passengers, Countdown2Drive can help decrease the number of crashes and injuries that occur during their first and most dangerous year of driving."
The government reports a teen age 13 or 14 has double the risk of dying in an accident as they did when they were younger. And that risk continues to rise as the teen gets older. More than 350,000 teenagers were seriously injured in car accidents last year.
"Texting and talking on cell phones may feel like second nature to a tech-savvy generation, but the truth is, no one can talk or text while driving safely," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Driving distracted is a dangerous and deadly practice, which is why we need to reach teens early on - before they get a permit and a license to drive."
Teens are also at higher risk for other poor driving decisions, including drunk driving, aggressive driving, failure to wear their seat belt, speeding and riding with too many passengers in the vehicle.
Parents can visit the Countdown2Drive Program here.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, is a law firm dedicated to representing accident victims in personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout South Florida, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Port Charlotte and Sebring. Call for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. 1-800-283-2900.
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