Teach your teen to be safe

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Topics and key information you can recommend to your teen

to stay safe while they are learning to drive.

Did you know??

sitting in drivers seat

The chance of a teen having one crash in their first three years of driving is 89.2%

….so about 9 out of every 10 teens will have at least one crash between theages of 16 and 19.
Teens are 400% more likely to die in a car crash than a 25-34 year old.
Most car accidenst are avoidable - 70% of car accidents are human error.
Cars don’t crash – People crash cars.

Proper Seating Position

Take the time to adjust the seat properly for your size and shape.

Move seat bottom to maintain a slight bend at the knee.
Make sure the seat locks into place.
Adjust the recline of the seat so that you have a bend at the elbow when you reach for the steering wheel and your back should maintain contact with the seat.
Always wear your seat belt!
Make sure the seat back in not reclined too much. You want to be able to maintain a good view around you at all times.

Hand Position

You should have a slight bend at the elbows as you grab the steering wheel.
Maintain your hands at either the 10 and 2 positions or the 9 and 3 positions. Keep your hands off the top of the steering wheel (at the 12 o’clock position) – in case of an accident and the airbag deploying, this will keep your hands away from your face during impact.
Do not reach inside the spokes of the steering wheel – you could break your fingers or your wrist.
Don’t use the death grip – just a firm grip.
This is the proper way to hold your hands on the steering wheel.

Eye Scanning and Mirrors

Adjust the mirrors to avoid blind spots. Do not adjust the side view mirrors to view the rear bumper; angle them out more to see the lanes next to you.
Look ahead of the car that is directly in front of you, this will help you be more alert if someone has to slam on the brakes.
Check your mirrors every six to eight seconds.
Look where you want the car to go.

Tires

Check the tire pressure in your tires at least once a month.
Refer to your owner’s manual for correct tire pressure settings. Proper inflated tires will decrease tire wear, will increase fuel mileage and your safety.
A tire looks big but only a small portion of the tire is in contact with the road at any given time; the contact patch is only about the size of a postcard.

Skid Control

What is Understeer?

o This is when the front tires lose grip first.

o You may have too much throttle at the corner entry.

o You are adding too much steering input.

o Locked the front brakes.

o Or it may be wet or slick road conditions.

You can handle an understeer by easing off the throttle, unlocking the brakes or unwinding the steering input and continue to look where you want the car to go.
To control a skid remember C.P.R.

o C = Correction – Add steering input quickly in the direction of the skid (the direction the back is sliding). Do not use the brake or the throttle, and try to prevent the car from reaching 90 degrees because the skid will become a spin.

o P = Pause – anticipate the car gaining traction and be ready to unwind your steering correction. Stay ahead of the car by looking at where you want the car to go.

o R = Recovery – Unwind the steering correction and continue to look where you want the car to go. Add power smoothly as you unwind your correction.

Off Road Recovery

Have you ever ran your car off the edge of the road and not sure what to do? This problem is the number one cause of car crashes involving teens. Off road recovery is easy to handle, as long as you don’t panic and try to jerk the car back on the road.

o Don’t Panic!

o Do not jerk the steering wheel.

o Steady throttle.

o Ease the car back on the road.

o Focus your attention down the road where you want to go.

Panic Stops

Have you ever had to slam on the brakes because a dog ran out in front of you or maybe the person driving ahead has to slam on the brakes because they are not paying attention? Either way, do you know what to do?

o If your car has Anti-Lock Brakes, this will give you, the driver, the ability to brake and steer in emergency panic stops. Once the ABS is activated you will feel the brake pedal pulsate and hear a grinding sound. This is normal and is not hurting your car; the ABS system is working to keep your tires from locking.

o Keep both hands on the steering wheel.

o Scan the area to see how you may be able to avoid any contact; you are looking for an escape route.

o Use the ball of your foot to press firmly on the brake pedal.

o Press firmly and continue to hold it down until you are at a complete stop.

Distraction

Many teens are easily distracted by passengers, the radio, cell phones or texting.
Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, and keep your eyes focused on the road and your surroundings.
Be prepared to make a defensive maneuver at all times.
Many states are banning texting and cell phone use while driving.

States that have banned ALL cell phone usage:

California

District of Columbia

New Jersey

New York

Oregon (goes into effect January 2010)

Utah

Washington

States that have a partial ban for cell phone usage (law differs per state):

Arkansas

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Illinois

Louisiana

Kansas

Maine

Maryland

Minnesota

Nebraska

North Carolina

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

West Virginia

States that have banned texting while driving for all drivers

Alaska