Keep your Texas teens safe during their most dangerous driving years

Houston car crash lawyers note that recent years have seen an increasing focus on teen driving safety and awareness. Indeed, MAP-21, a recent vehicle and highway safety initiative passed by the U.S. Senate, contains provisions aimed at encouraging implementation of graduated drivers’ licensing requirements for teens in all U.S. states.

Texas has a graduated drivers’ licensing (GDL) program that commenced in 2002. Texas also has “Teens in the Driver’s Seat” (TDS) a peer-to-peer program in which teens try to increase safety awareness and safe driving habits among fellow teens. And Texas is the only state to see an actual decrease (each year since 2002) in the number of fatal crashes involving 16- to 19-year-olds.

Our Houston car crash lawyers point out that counties with the TDS program have seen a 14% decrease in teen injury and fatal crashes when compared to those Texas counties without the TDS program. TDS focuses on the biggest risks for teen drivers: driving distracted (for instance, texting while driving), driver fatigue, drunk driving, speeding, driving at night, and failure to buckle up.

The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) emphasizes that car crashes remain the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Our Houston car crash lawyers mention that the highest risk is to teen male drivers. And the risk to rural teen drivers is twice the risk to urban teens.

The IIHS also specifies that the car crash rate is four times higher among drivers in the 16- to 19-year-old ranger than for those 20 and older. Breaking the statistic down further, the crash rate for 16-year-olds is almost twice as high as the rate for 18- and 19-year-old drivers.

Some of the steps you could take to enhance your teen’s safety behind the wheel include:

• Closely supervise your teen through the phased-in driving stages of the Texas GDL program. Statistics show that fatal crash rates for teens aged 16 plummeted by 45% between 2002 and 2007, and some experts ascribe that drop to GDL requirements.
• Enroll your teen in the Texas peer-to-peer TDS program.
• Enroll your teen in an advanced drivers’ education program to hone their driving skills under the guidance of experienced drivers. One such program in the Ford “Driving Skills for Life” Program.
• Install the AAAOnboard coaching device in your vehicle that allows you to monitor your teen’s driving habits.
• Make sure your teen understands the dangers of texting while driving and of DWI.

Even the most careful driver can encounter danger on the road, despite all the best safety precautions. If you or a family member have been injured in a serious crash and you need help dealing with the aftermath, download our Houston car crash lawyers’ free book on the steps to take following a serious Houston wreck. Learn how you could obtain a full financial recovery for your injuries from the negligent party that caused your wreck.