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New research shows teen drivers alone are dangerous enough, but their peer passengers may be at a higher risk for injury or even death.
Every time he pulls out of the driveway, a teen driver faces a higher risk of a crash. But when someone between the ages of 12 and 17 is riding shotgun, the risk skyrockets.
AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough says, "They want to show off, and they're just not experienced enough to handle the distractions of driving."
A new AAA survey of parents of children ages 12 to 17 found 96 percent understood the dangers of driving with multiple teen passengers, and 65 percent understood even one teen passenger to be a dangerous combination. But 47 percent of parents of teen drivers surveyed said their teen rides with another teen driver at least once a week. And 15 percent of parents of non-driving high schoolers said their teen rode with another teen at least weekly.
Despite research showing crash risk begins to rise significantly at the age of 12, the survey found nine out of 10 parents believed their child's risk of dying in a car crash didn't increase until age 15.
What's a parent to do? Fairclough says it's up to the parents to talk to their children about distracted driving years before the children are ready to drive. "You need to talk to the child--11, 12--and say, you know, 'You'll be driving with people. You need to make sure that you're a responsible passenger,'" she said.
That means not adding to the driver's distractions but also empowering a teen or pre-teen to tell their friend, "You're not being safe. Let me out of the car."
AAA offers the following tips for parents of teen drivers and soon-to-be teen drivers.
If your teen is not yet driving: - It's safest to ride with someone who is not a teen driver. If they must, it should only be as needed, without other teen passengers, during daylight hours and with a responsible driver.
- Your teen should know to wear a seat belt; refrain from distracting the driver by talking, loud music, or horseplay; and to speak up if the driver is being unsafe. If your teen is allowed to drive alone:
- Make a contract, or "parent-teen driving agreement" with your teen. Make sure they know what to expect from you, and what you will expect from them.
- Rules about seat belts, drunk drivers, and distracted drivers remain especially important. As teens get older, they become increasingly mobile, and their exposure to dangerous conditions increases.
E-mail: bbruce@ksl.com
