According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the per–mile fatality rate for 16–year–olds is approximately 10 times that of adults. Why are teens so accident prone? AAA cites the following reasons:
• New drivers learn both good and bad driving habits mostly through experience.
• Novice drivers are less likely to stay focused, scan their surroundings effectively, identify potential hazards early, and make tough decisions quickly.
• Teen drivers perceive less risk in specific violations and dangerous situations, but more risk in relatively routine situations.
• Novice drivers usually drive too fast and too close to others, have unrealistic confidence in their own abilities, and leave inadequate safety margins in traffic.
• Teen drivers are less likely to wear their safety belts because they don't view preventive measures as important.
• Teen drivers are more likely to get in a crash when drinking and driving because their lack of experience behind the wheel cannot compensate for their impaired senses and judgment.
• Teens are more likely to overload a car, leading to high fatalities in a crash. Sixty–three percent of fatally injured teen passengers were killed in cars driven by other teens.
• Peer pressure and driver overconfidence lead teens to believe risky driving is rewarding and cool.
The AAA web site provides resources for parents to help them educate their teenage sons and daughters.
AAA's Teaching Your Teens to Drive: A Partnership for Survival Program helps parents provide supervised driving experience to novice drivers. The program materials include a colorfully illustrated handbook and live–action video. An interactive CD–ROM is available as well.
Through this program, parents can help their new drivers develop the following skills:
• Basic vehicle control
• Positioning and speed adjustment
• Passing and off–road maneuvers
• Visual search habits
• Freeway and night driving
• Driving on slippery surfaces
• Reducing risks
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently released an update of its popular educational tool for parents and teens, the interactive DVD, Driver–Zed. Realistic full motion graphics, exciting footage filmed from the driver’s perspective and other details create a high–end computer gaming experience. Teens will be challenged as they face a wide range of risks, from a child chasing a ball into the street to aggressive, tail–gating drivers. Driver–Zed 3.0 will help teens become safer drivers and avoid life threatening vehicle crashes. For more information on this, visit: http://www.web.aaasne.com/sne/public_affairs/teendriving.php
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