Safe Teen Driving Blog

Have you sped while driving? Sure, who hasn't, right? Well according to statistics, if you're a teen driver, you are putting yourself at a high risk for a car accident. And if you're a parent of a new driver, you should know how your teen defines speeding. One study in California showed that most teenage drivers defined speeding as driving in the area of 90 mph or more. Driving 65 in a 55 zone was not considered speeding by them. That's a scary thought.

What's worse is that teenagers do not realize the consequences of speeding. A 2005 study by the Allstate Foundation found that about half of all teenage fatalities resulting from car accidents were caused by speeding. However, all over the nation, teens are being pulled over for excessively speeding for reasons that they believe are important, but they are instead putting lives at risk, including their own.

Recently, an online newspaper reported that a 16-year-old boy was pulled over for driving 142 mph at about 12:40 a.m. Officers believe this is the fastest speed ever recorded on their roads, as most cars don't even go that fast. The teen's excuse for speeding? He was late getting home, past his curfew, and afraid his parents would get angry. In the same community a few months prior, a 17-year-old girl was pulled over for driving 101 in a 30 mph zone. Again, it was late night, and she was in a hurry to get home.

What are these drivers thinking? Obviously they don't realize the true dangers of speeding. They feel invincible. Sadly, many teens who feel this way don't make it home to their parents, not even late. Wouldn't it be better to just make it home late, and alive, then not at all? Hopefully teens can realize that speeding is not the answer, and that perhaps open communication with their parents is a good start to driving safety. Next time you're going to be out past your curfew, call your folks and let them know you'll be late, and home safe.