SUMMER TIPS FOR PARENTS AND THEIR TEENAGE DRIVERS

Study after study has shown that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers. Further, the greatest number of fatal accidents involving young drivers occurs in the summer months of May, June, July and August reports GEICO, one of the nations largest auto insurers.

In the summer teens have more free time. Their time is no longer taken up by school, homework, school related projects and activities. Parents are apt to be more lenient in terms of allowing teens to go out and stay out later since they no longer have to get up early for class.

This free time translates into more time on the road for young drivers. This in turn exposes them to more risks of being involved in accidents. Speed, divided attention, dangerous road or weather conditions coupled with limited experience can produce deadly results.

As a parent what can you do to make sure your teenager is a safe and responsible driver? Here are some tips:

1. Set a good example. If you tell your young driver to obey the speed limit then speed yourself or use a radar detector to avoid detection you are implicitly telling your child it is ok to speed. Same thing for speeding up when your light turns yellow or when someone seeks to merge in front into your lane.

2. Ride along with your young driver. Spend time in the automobile with your teenager. Give them the benefit of your driving experience. Discuss driving situations. Just as in school, this should be a learning experience for your teenage driver. Encourage your teen driver to pay strict attention to the road and not be distracted by the radio, CD player or cell phone.

3. Set reasonable rules. Studies show that the risk of deadly accident increases substantially with each passenger added to your teenager's car. Consider limiting the number of people who can occupy the car when your teen is the driver. Have reasonable limits for when and where your teen uses the automobile. The majority of fatal auto accidents involving teenagers occurs on weekends between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

4. Prohibit drinking and driving. The risk of accident is higher on the weekend when there are nearly three times the number of fatal accidents involving teenagers and alcohol than on weekdays according to the GEICO study. The law is crystal clear -

* it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol

* it is illegal for anyone to drive while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol

Ask any police officer, these laws are strictly enforced.

With your thoughtful involvement driving can be a wonderful and safe experience for your child.

In the event you or a loved one suffer personal injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident you would be wise to consult an attorney early in the process. An attorney is uniquely qualified to make sense of the situation by explaining your rights as well as your obligations.

.