Safe Teen Driving Blog

The Georgia National Fair this year had its requisite rides, games, entertainment and of course, plenty of cotton candy. However, there was an added element that really drew teen crowds - a safe teen driving booth set up in a joint partnership between the Safe America Foundation and the Houston County District Attorney's Office. Say what? Teens willingly going to an educational booth about safe driving? Well, if the prize was a new car, would you believe it then?

The partnership between the America Foundation and the Houston County District Attorney's Office was very successful hundreds of teens got the chance to go through a series of simulated driving tests to gauge their driving skills in a variety of situations. In addition, there were some question and answer sessions as well. There was a different round every day with teens progressing through each round until the final test - with a brand new car as the prize. This time a lucky 15 year old won after she successfully proved her safe driving skills and beat out hundreds of other teens.

It is the hope of both parties in this partnership that all of the teens who participated left with a greater sense of accomplishment and confidence in their skills and also walk away with the knowledge of what they need to brush up on in terms of driving skills. Finally, both the Safe America Foundation and the Houston County District Attorney's Office hope that these teens feel a great sense of responsibility and realize that driving is a privilege that must be earned by good driving behavior.

A few teens who were interviewed after their participation felt that the experience was worth it. Of course, many of them admitted that they would not have stopped by either if it weren't for the lure of winning a car. This is an understandable position and expected of many teens that live in the moment and don't really think ahead to the consequences of some of their actions. However, the Safe America Foundation feels that if even just a few teens leave this experience changed, it would have been worth it.

This approach to promoting safe teenage driving is definitely different and applies a different spin to what so many other foundations and entities are trying to do - save our teens from driving accidents and death. Let's hope that the lessons learned during this 11-day fair actually make a lasting impact with all the teens who participated.

There are dozens of different statistics about teen driving and they all mesh together with one commonality - traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in teens. Many different entities has created various programs to combat this deadly teenage trend with education programs and reporting systems. However, some insurance companies are taking things a step further - car cameras and GPS equipment to monitor teen driving behavior.

While there has been no official feedback from the teen faction, you can bet there will be some fallout about privacy issues and entitlement. Teens will likely plead to parents that it is not fair and that they have a right to privacy. While the privacy thing is certainly true, what teens should realize is that driving is a privilege and it is every parent's right to monitor their kids for their own safety if they feel the teens are not ready to handle it on their own.

These cameras will record both video and audio of teen driving habits. Luckily, thus far, the majority of problems have been with inattentiveness rather than aggressive or purposely reckless driving. American Family Insurance is one of the companies that are participating in this program. The footage of the driving behavior is sent to a special media center for analysis where it is evaluated and a "game plan" created to correct the behaviors which is then sent to the parents.

Teens can breathe a sigh of relief that personal conversations and private moments are not relayed to the parents, only information directly related to driving. The camera kicks on via a motion sensor which captures swerving, hard or sudden braking, collision and even hasty acceleration. It is not on the entire time that the teenager is driving.

Another company has introduced the Teensurance program which allows parents to track their teen's driving behaviors via an onboard GPS system. Parents can set up parameters based on speed, curfew and even distance. In other words, parents are almost behind the scenes remote controllers with their teens at the wheel.

Teenagers are likely not too enthused about this program either as it seems as if their "freedom" is being usurped. So where do we draw the line as parents when it comes to monitoring and protecting our teenage drivers? Do we blindly hand over the keys and cross our fingers? That answer should be a definite no. Instead, these programs like the camera and GPS system are just additional protective tools that are available to the parents for additional peace of mind.

So teens listen up - just go with the flow on these different monitoring devices and learn from them. Within another year or two, those things will be gone and guess what? You will likely not drive any differently because safe driving, thanks to the monitoring, has become an ingrained habit. That is actually a great legacy from your parents but will likely not be appreciated until you mature some more.

The Driver Education Handbook for Parents provides a practical, step-by-step approach to instructing your teen how to become a Safe Driver through behavior, attitude, skills, and experience.

Geico, the automobile insurance giant, is not just known for their cute gecko or grunting cavemen commercial shtick. They also produce some great informational tools about your insurance and safe driving tips. There is an informational sheet Geico produced about the Top Ten Tips for preventing teenage accidents.

Really, the information is nothing new to anyone but it pays to be repetitive right? Teens probably only really absorb a quarter of what they hear and read when it is not a subject matter they really want to hear about like cleaning their room or *gasp* how to drive responsibly. Perhaps some parents should use the tip handout and tell their teens there will be a pop quiz on it later! Maybe then they will actually read it.

Anyway... there are some tips on there that are not really emphasized on other responsible teen driving diatribes. For instance, one of the tips is keeping it slow and steady and gradually build up to speedier driving venues. What this means is do not start driving lessons with your teen on the major highways that mimic the infamous Autobahn. Instead ease their way into those roads by practicing on driving within small towns or country roads. Practicing those speedy highways during down times is also beneficial. As the teen (and you as the parent) feel more confident about venturing on the highways in the height of craziness, then you can do so.

Another tip that doesn't get as much play in the teen driving world is training to drive in poor conditions. Many parents are more apt to keep their teens from driving in the rain, snow or other weather conditions. This means, of course, that your teen will have no experience whatsoever in them. The best thing you can do (even though you won’t want to) is to take them out driving, at least in low populated or slow areas, during these conditions. If anything, drive around in the inclement weather in large parking lots, practicing turns and such for the experience. There are less things to hit in an empty parking lot!

Driving a safe vehicle is another safe teen driving tip and one that many people take for granted. Usually, the teen car is either the family car or a hand-me-down. On occasion, a new car or a used model may be purchased. Whatever you choose for your teen to tool around in, you must be sure that it is safe to drive. In this safe teen driving tip, you are the one that holds the ultimate power.