How to Protect Your Teen from Summer Driving Hazards

Did you know the summer is the deadliest time of the year for teenage drivers? May 20 is the deadliest day of year with about 22 fatal car crashes on average according to the American Automobile Association [AAA]. June 10 is the second-deadliest day for teens. Six of the 10 deadliest days of the year are in June and July.  

This makes sense when you think about it. Teens are celebrating the end of the school year and teens who are new drivers are celebrating the independence their new driving privileges allow them. Alcohol may be involved in these celebrations. And while drinking and driving is very dangerous regardless of your age, they're particularly dangerous for teens who are both new to both driving and drinking.

Summer also gives driving teens more opportunities to be behind the wheel, especially for going to more fun destinations. And because all their friends are out of school also and some of them may not be driving, there's more likely to be other teens in the car while your teen is driving.

Finally, there's never been a more dangerous time to be a teen driver in general. With the proliferation of cell phones and the additional distractions of both texting and emails, young inexperienced drivers are more likely than ever to divert their attention from the road resulting in serious Tampa auto accidents.

Various organizations and Tampa injury law firms will tell you that you should consider taking some or all the following measures to reduce the chances that your teen will be injured or involved in a fatal car accident in Tampa Bay:

First, parents should consider limiting teen driving to essential trips, at least during the first year of driving. It'll be easier if you explain that learning to drive is a process that doesn't stop once they get their license. By giving your teen something to look forward to next, they'll be more willing to obey the limitations. Since serious and sometimes fatal Tampa car accidents are more likely to occur at night rather than during the day, it may make sense to limit your teens driving to daytime hours. You should realize that the statistic show that teen nighttime driving doubles the chance that your teen will be involved in a Tampa car crash.

Second, parents should continuously remind teens to focus on driving and ignore the cell phone when it rings. You might even require that your teen not carry their cell phone with them when they're going to drive, especially in the first year of driving. This alone could significantly reduce the chance that your teen will be involved in a Tampa car accident.

Third, Tampa injury attorneys know that the more passengers in a car the more likely that there will be a Tampa car accident involving your teen. That's because the risk of a crash increases with every teenage passenger in the car. Each passenger creates an additional source of distraction for the teen driver making their presence more dangerous. As a result, you might limit the number of passengers allowed in your teen's vehicle as a way to reduce the risk of your teen being involved in a Tampa car crash.

Fourth, it's very important to have discussions with your teen regarding drinking and driving. Although the penalties the law imposes are very strict themselves, teens often see themselves as invincible. Only after a teen they know is injured in a Tampa auto accident will teens often realize that injuries and worse really do happen to them. Pointing out articles in the paper involving teens involved in either Tampa car crashes or auto accidents outside your area can be helpful.

Imposing these rules and restrictions on your teen can be difficult, but they are also very important for protecting your teen and others from the perils of being involved in a Tampa car accident that can result in injuries or fatalities.

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