PennDot reminds young drivers to be distraction-free
Nov 5th, 2009 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: BlogsThe Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) reports that 23,059 PA car accidents involving 16- to 19-year-old drivers occurred in 2008, resulting in 194 fatal PA accidents. Ten percent of these Pennsylvania car accidents were caused by some degree of driver distraction. Statistics show that distractions while driving are the major contributors to highway car accidents involving teenagers and young adults. Other contributing factors include speeding, driver inexperience, and improper or careless turning.
Young drivers are not always experienced enough to recognize dicey road conditions and challenging situations. Therefore, PennDOT recommends that distractions be greatly minimized, as they only exacerbate the driver’s lack of experience. Engaging in actions such as talking or texting on a cell phone, fiddling with the radio, eating, or adjusting climate control while driving increases the chance of an accident taking place.
PennDOT encourages adult supervision of beginner teen drivers as often as possible in order to assess the teen’s knowledge of road rules, driving skill, and overall level of maturity. Parents are also reminded by PennDOT that there are ways to greatly reduce the risk of your child becoming a Pennsylvania car accident statistic. For example, talk with your teen about safe driving before they turn 16, establish a parent/teen driving contract, limit the number of passengers a teen driver can have in the car at one time, limit the amount of dawn, dusk, and evening driving until more driving experience has been gained, and prohibit eating, drinking, talking or texting on a cell phone while driving.
The best thing a parent can do, however, to instill safe driving habits in their children is to be a good example. Observe speed limits and other rules of the road, do not tailgate, be alert and undistracted, and be courteous to other drivers.
If you were in a NJ or PA car accident caused by a distracted teenage driver, contact us for a free case evaluation.
http://www.HowsMyTeenDriving.org has a solution to these teenage driving issues. For a small fee you get a bumper sticker with an 800 number just like the ones we see on commercial vehicles. Call is immediately placed to parents to react right then. It takes a community to raise a child. Teenage driving is still the number #1 cause of deaths for ages 16-19. This product can help eliminate/reduce teenage driving deaths.
THERE ARE BAD DRIVERS, AND THERE ARE TEEN AGE DRIVERS.
NOT ALL TEENAGE DRIVERS ARE BAD, AND NOT ALL BAD DRIVERS ARE TEEN AGERS.
I DISAGREE WITH THE POSTER ABOVE.
I RATHER HAVE EVERY CAR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE AN INTERLOCK IGNITION DEVICE, …. THEN A BUMPER STICKER.
WHAT, .. YOU CANT BE INCONVINCED WITH BLOWING FOR 5-10 SECONDS IN A TUBE, BEFORE STARTING YOUR CAR?
THAT IS WAY MORE LESS INTRUSIVE TO PERSONAL FREEDOM, THEN HAVIN G A BUMPER SRTICKER INDICATING YOU ARE A BAD DRIVER.
YOU CAN NOT DO THIS TO LICENSED DRIVERS, ….
I UNDERSTAND THAT DEATHS OCCUR, …. BUT PEOPLE WILL BE TAGETING TEENAGERS, BECAUSE OF THE BUMPER STICKER, TO GET BIG MONEY OUT OF RICH PARENTS.
THE FACT IS, ..THE REAL CONCERN IS DUI.
AND RTO ELIMINATE DUI, … EVERY CAR SOLD IN AMERICA, CAN HAVE AN INTERLOCK IGNITION DEVICE, 5-10 ECONDS, THE DRIVER BLOWS INTO IT, …
WITH THE STATE STIPULATING THAT IS IS 100% ACCURATE AND PRECISE, … SET AT 0,08% BAC, OR EVEN IF YOU WANT, SET IT AT 0,05% BAC,…
IF THE PERSON IS ALONE, HE ISNT STARTINTG THE CAR, .. IF HE IS WITH OTHERS, . AND THE CAR STARTS, …. THEN THAT PERSON CAN DRIVE
THIS WOULD ELIMINATE AT LEAST 90% OF ALL DUI, ..
THUIS 99,99& OF ALL DUI DEATHS.