In the first half of 2011, the reported number of deaths of sixteen and seventeen-year-old drivers rose from 190 to 211. This represents an eleven percent increase, and the end of an eight year streak of declining deaths of young drivers. Your Greenwood Auto Body Shop in Seattle sincerely hates to see our customers come to any harm that cannot be fixed with a garage full of tools, so we offer these tips for keeping your teenager safe on the road.
Though it’s difficult to pinpoint a cause for this increase in deaths, some point the finger at the improving economy. A healthier economy means more teen drivers on the road; it means more money for gas, late nights out, and all of the hottest, most distracting new gadgets that your favored electronics store can cram into your teenager’s hand. It’s important to instill into your kids the dangers of phoning, texting, and web surfing while driving, particularly now that maps and gps systems have become available to tempt the disoriented new driver.
It’s also a good idea to limit the number of other teens your teen driver has in the car at a time, or limit any nighttime driving. Not only does this provide additional challenges to a driver, but it can also mean that your teen isn’t getting enough sleep to wake up fresh for school in the morning. Groggy morning driving is another menace on the road, and another habit that should be broken to keep your teenage driver out of the statistic books.