Category Archive: Parents

Insurance Institute list of safe used cars

Insurance Institute Lists Safe Used Cars For Teens

As we mentioned a few days ago, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found that teens involved in fatal crashes were more likely to be driving a smaller, older, and less safe vehicle than adults of their parent’s age. Now the IIHS has come out with their recommendations for safe used vehicles for teens that are more likely to fit in a family’s budget. There are some surprises on the list. For more information, read: IIHS issues recommendations on used vehicles for teens

Teens drive older cars

Teen Cars Usually Older, Less Safe

It’s understandable, there isn’t much money in the family budget to buy a new car for a teen driver. Teens usually get a hand-me-down vehicle or a cheap used car but parents need to be aware of the dangers inherent in those older vehicles. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teens who die in crashes are more likely than adults of their parents age to be driving an older, smaller, less safe vehicle.  Read more: Teenagers’ Cars Are Older, Smaller and Less Safe, Study Finds

Seat Belt Or No Seat Belt?

According to crash data, the number of teens who don’t wear seat belts is on the rise. Check out this video to see the difference between wearing a seat belt or not wearing a seat belt. Remember; the airbag may not always deploy and, if you aren’t wearing your seat belt, the crash forces of your body flying forward against an airbag that is explosively traveling in the other direction can lead to serious injuries. Combined with the proper use of seat belts, the airbag can be a lifesaver.

Wear a seat belt

Use Of Seat Belts By Teens Decreasing

The Governors Highway Administration and the Allstate Foundation have teamed up to create a report on the lack of seat belt use by teens. Over the past three years, the number of teens killed in car crashes who weren’t wearing seat belts has increased by up to six percent with more than half not wearing seat belts. The figures are even higher for passengers of teen drivers with more than 60 percent not using seat belts. To read what your state is doing and what you can do to to increase seat belt use by teens, read: Getting It To Click! Connecting Teens And Seat Belt Use

 

CHOP Teen Driving Program

“Teen Driving Program” Improves Teen Driving Performance

A study released recently by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) showed that the experimental Teen Driving Program (TDP), a web based program that helps parents plan and track their teen’s progress while learning to drive, significantly improved driving performance for teens. The study tracked two groups of teens, one that used the TDP program and one that didn’t. According to the study results:

  • “Young drivers that used TDP over a 24-week period were 65 percent less likely to fail a rigorous on-road driving assessment than those not given access to the intervention.
  • Overall, six percent of teenagers that used TDP had their on-road driving assessment terminated due to unsafe driving performance as compared to 15 percent of those not given TDP.
  • Families who used TDP also reported more driving practice in various environments, at night, and in bad weather.
  • TDP increased parent engagement as practice supervisors, practice variety (at least 1-2 hours of practice in all six driving environments), and parent support of teens.”

The program isn’t available to the public yet but, according to a news release put out by CHOP, it will be available later this year. For a video demonstration of the program and to learn more, read: TeenDrivingPlan (TDP)

Photo compliments of: Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia