Our Fort Myers personal injury lawyers encourage parents to speak with their teenagers about the importance of safe driving habits this week during National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 17-24).
As we reported last week on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, parental involvement is critical to reducing the risk that your teenager will be involved in a serious or fatal car accident in Cape Coral or Fort Myers. The coming weeks are among the most dangerous of the year as school’s celebrate homecoming, traffic gets intense with the start of tourist season, and South Florida heads into the holiday season.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers ages 15 to 20. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 2 of every 5 teenager deaths are the result of traffic accidents.
Teens have every bad driving habit in the book and are among the worst offenders when it comes to drunk driving, speeding, texting and driving, distracted driving, not wearing their seat belts, riding with too many passengers in the car, dangerous nighttime driving and driving too fast for conditions.
In fact, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that 1 in 5 16-year-old drivers will be involved in an accident.
The Florida Drive with Care program is encouraging awareness by urging everyone to wear a white shirt on Oct. 19 to “White Out Teen Crashes.”
Driving tips for teenagers adapted from the department of motor vehicles:
-Wear your seat belt.
-Adjust mirrors, seat, radio and climate control before moving.
-Make complete stops at stop signs and red lights. Avoid jamming on the brakes. When stopping behind another vehicle, stay far enough back that you can see its rear tires.
-Look left, right, straight, left before proceeding from a stop. Look left first and last because that is the direction of oncoming traffic.
-Do not rely on mirrors when backing up. Make visual checks in all directions to make sure your path is clear.
-Remain 15 feet away from trucks on all sides. If you cannot see a truck’s rearview mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
-Don’t speed. The chance of death or serious injury doubles for every 10 mph you travel over 50 mph.
Click here for additional tips on dangerous driving distractions, night driving and driving in bad weather. Here you will find a safe driving contract for your Florida teenager.
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.