How To Help Teenage Drivers Avoid Distractions and Car Accidents
Distracted driving refers to any action that causes you to avert your eyes from the road, traffic signals, other vehicles, and the act of driving itself.
The US Department of Transportation reports that ten people die each day, while another 1,000 drivers sustain mild to severe injuries as a result of distracted drivers.
Because of the risks associated with distracted driving, parents are encouraged to speak with their children about common actions they should avoid to ensure their safety and those around them.
Approaching Distracted Driving
Before you can approach distracted driving with your teenage drivers, it’s important to understand what this concept refers to and the type of actions that cause distractions. It’s also imperative to understand how to relay such information to teen drivers in ways that resonate with them and their understanding of safety versus risk.
The definition of distracted driving is when someone operating a vehicle engages in actions or activities that are not directly connected to the actual management of the vehicle. Distracted driving includes:
- Using a smart phone device (e-mail, chat, social networking, texting, taking pictures, sharing content)
- Watching movies or listening to audio books
- Personal grooming (brushing hair, applying makeup, trimming finger nails)
- Consuming food or beverages
- Transporting one or more passengers
- Reading (books, texts, directions/maps, instructions)
How Parents Can Help Their Teenage Drivers Avoid Common Distractions
The experts at Fast Help advise that parents invest time in educating their children on the safety risks and statistics associated with distracted driving. Distracted driving is not just about shutting off or putting away a smart phone device while operating a vehicle, it ultimately refers to a particular level of consideration that is maintained whenever traveling.
Discuss the short and long-term consequences of driving distracted and how one moment can easily lead to a series of legal and social ramifications.
Convey to your children how their lives may be impacted by a car accident, as well as those they collide with. Sustaining a permanent injury can have devastating effects on your child, although harming or killing another driver or child passenger may resonate more with them.
If your teenage driver does get into a car accident that’s caused by a distraction, contact our Atlanta personal injury attorneys right away for legal support. Just dial (404) 592-0318 to speak with a legal expert immediately.