Have you talked to your teenage driver about auto safety?

Did you know that car accidents are the leading cause of death in teens and young adults ages 15 to 20? If you have a teenager or young adult in your household, what are you doing to keep them safe? With the accident-prone holiday season and a brand new year looming ahead of us, this is a great time to have a talk with the young people in your life about safe driving. The life you save may be theirs! The Prince William Public Schools, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Virginia Association of Driver Education and Traffic Safety have all partnered to form the Safe Teen Driving: A Teen-Safe Community Health Initiative. The mission of this initiative is to reduce the number of teen auto accidents, injuries, and deaths – who wouldn’t want that? I recommend that you check out their website, as it is geared towards parents. You’ll find advice on coaching teen drivers to drive better, information about automobile insurance for your teen, and reminders about Virginia’s driving laws. Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions about Teen Driver Safety, and click here for Safe Driving Tips for Parents. I urge you to take time out of your busy holiday schedule to spend some time connecting with your teen about the importance of safe driving. You could even make it your New Year’s Resolution to have a serious discussion with your teenage driver about auto safety – it’ll be a lot easier to meet this goal than, say, losing 20 pounds or cutting down on sweets… and much more rewarding!