Parents Who “Drive It Home” Most Often Have Safe Teen Drivers

As summer approaches and school is nearing the end, it becomes more important to teach young drivers the importance of safety behind the wheel. Did you know that the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered "The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer."

Memorial Day weekend is often times the first trip to the beach as it was for five California high school teens. The group was headed to Newport Beach when their 2008 Infiniti veered into a center divider, struck a tree with such force that the vehicle split in two, and then burst into flames. Four teens died at the crash site, the fifth died at the hospital. Although the investigation is still pending, it has been reported that the driver did not have a valid license and excessive speeding was the cause of the fatal accident.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes, 39% were speeding at the time of the accident. Fortunately, teen auto accidents such as this one are preventable; proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on our roadways.

Speeding, inattentiveness, and driver distractions are dangerous; the potential for a serious or fatal auto accident is overwhelming. That is why the National Safety Council is introducing DriveitHome, a new program to remind parents of ways to stay involved and keep their teen drivers safer. The program includes an interactive website – driveithome.org – with weekly practice tips and engaging videos.

Parental involvement is a critical element of a teen driver’s learning process, but a parent’s job does not stop once a teen gets his/her license. Studies show that the most dangerous year of a teen’s life is the year they get their license. As a parent, you should continue to help your child grow as a safer driver at least through the first year.

If you haven’t visited driveithome.org, click here for helpful tips, thought-provoking content, humorous videos and everything else you need to coach your teen driver.

Mark Bello has thirty-six years experience as a trial lawyer and fourteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Member of Public Justice, Public Citizen, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.