Looking out for your teen driver

If you’ve got a teenage driver, then you’ve probably spent a good bit of time worrying about their safety.  But worry alone won’t keep them safe on the road, when traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for youngsters aged 15 to 20.  What is a concerned parent to do?

There are a number of resources online available for parents and teens to prevent an unimaginable tragedy.  We’ll mention two big things – speeding and seatbelt use.  Many accidents in the Virginia area happen when teen drivers drive too fast, and are then ejected from the vehicle and severely injured or killed because they weren’t wearing their seatbelt.  In addition, check out the websites below for helpful hints and tips to keep teens safe:

• The Virginia DMV manages a safe teen driving program, and has a number of teen driver safety tips on their website.

• Partners for Safe Teen Driving is a Virginian community health initiative aimed at keeping teen drivers safe on the road and has a number of helpful resources for parents.

• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has Q&A, statistics, and other research information on their website.

Finally, you can read about federal recommendations for teen driver safety in our library article, “What Can Be Done About Teen Car Deaths?”