Car accident risks abound in Georgia, and teenagers are one of the most at-risk segment of the population when it comes to auto-related deaths and catastrophic injuries. Some analysts believe that teens are more at risk because they’re inexperienced behind the wheel, they have a less developed appreciation for danger and they may be more prone to distractions and peer pressure when behind the wheel.
Fortunately, there are a few pieces of safety advice that Georgia parents can help their teens understand — which could support teens in avoiding car accidents.
What can your teen do to stay safe behind the wheel?
When talking with teens about vehicle safety, parents should focus on the following topics:
- Avoid distractions: Teens love their digital devices, and having friends in the car can also be distracting. The bottom line is that teenagers need to understand and appreciate how dangerous digital devices are, and how having friends in the car with them can result in fatal distractions. Often, knowing and being aware of these risks is enough to help teens prevent the worst that can result from such distractions.
- Speed limits: Speed limitations are there for a reason, but a young and rebellious teenager may not see the value in having a speed limit. Explain to your teen that speed limits were created with the idea of accident and death prevention in mind. Just driving a little bit over the speed limit will substantially increase the chances of getting into an accident, and the severity of damages and injuries that result from said accident.
- Seatbelt use: Teens are the most likely segment of the population to not use a seatbelt. However, teens need to understand that more than 80 percent of car accident deaths happen to drivers and passengers who failed to buckle up.
Was your teenager hurt in a car crash?
Many teens get hurt in car accidents due to no fault of their own. If this happened to your teenager, you might want to look into whether you could pursue a claim seeking financial damages related to medical care costs and the other impacts coming from your teen’s injuries.