The next time you witness a driver drifting from lane to lane, running a red light or making a left-hand turn while ignoring oncoming traffic, odds are they have a cell phone in hand. 

According to a January 2010 article from the National Safety Council, an estimated 1.4 million crashes are induced each year by drivers conversing on cell phones. Drivers who are texting and driving are blamed for 200,000 accidents annually. Alarmingly, the top incidence of distracted driving occurs in those under the age of 20.

Recognizing how dangerous distracted driving is for this age group, many grassroots projects have been launched to curb it. In 2007, Congress even passed a resolution establishing every third week in October as National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW).

The observance is intended to raise awareness about the tragedy of teen car accidents, the leading cause of death for young people in the United States. It is also intended to spark conversation among teenagers, their parents and civic leaders about the causes of and ways to avert teen crashes. In 2010, NTDSW will be observed from October 17 – 23.

Many auto insurance companies have taken up the cause as well. Allstate, for example, has a teen driver safety program which offers families tools and resources created to help keep young drivers protected. Among the tools available, a parent-teen driving contract that outlines teen driver responsibilities and defines consequences families agree on together if they’re not met; and a assortment of useful tips designed to help parents promote their teen drivers to be safe drivers.

  • Discuss when, where, how and with whom your teen is allowed to drive.
  • Limit the amount of passengers in the car. Laughter, music and cell phones can create serious distractions which increase with every additional passenger.
  • Create a no-cell phone zone.

Committing to safety will be a huge money saver in the long run. The first year a teenage driver is added to insurance policy, parents can expect car insurance quotes to range anywhere from an added $500 to $3,000. For every year the teen driver remains accident free, the rates can go down substantially

Related posts:

  1. You can’t leanr to drive ONLY with dad’s help – take some intensive driving lessons also
  2. What should I do about my teenage daughter's bedwetting problem?
  3. What are some activities you do with your toddler to build vocabulary skills?
  4. If You Find Yourself Unsure about What Type Of Life Insurance Policy You May Need, Read Through This Page
  5. When is the best time to start potty training your toddler?

Tagged with: • • • • •

Filed under: Bedwetting

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!