Keeping Teens Safe Behind the Wheel
July 19th, 2010
Every parent dreads the day their teenager gets behind the wheel for the first time, and with three out of four teen deaths stemming from car crashes, we understand your fears. All drivers can make poor decisions behind the wheel, but teens are most at risk for bad judgment on the road. While you might always worry about your child driving, remember, not all teens are bad drivers. With the proper tools, education and experience, your teen can learn to be a safe, defensive driver.
First, the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety recommends enrolling your teen in a driver’s education class. Not only does it lead to fewer crashes, but most insurance providers will offer lower rates for those who complete driver’s ed. In addition, there are other defensive driving courses offered for teens and the parents of teen drivers. Go to www.SafeNebraska.org to check out classes offered by the National Safety Council in Omaha.
The National Safety Council says, “Parents should not rely solely on driver education to provide teens the significant knowledge and experience that they need to become safe drivers.” While classes will definitely help your new driver, they need your support too. Be sure to provide lots of supervised driving time with your teen. The more experience they can get with you by their side, the better the skills they will develop.
While Nebraska law prohibits use of cell phones and limits the number of passengers teens can have in the car, you should also help eliminate distractions. KidsHealth recommends you set firm rules regarding cell phone use, radio volume and passengers allowed in the car. Also, stress the importance of seat belts and the dangers of alcohol use. Both are serious issues; two out of three teens killed in crashes weren’t buckled up and 25 percent of crashes killing young drivers involve alcohol. Establish penalties for breaking any rules and be sure to have open communication with your new driver at all times regarding these issues.
In addition to education and experience, new technologies can help teach new drivers to be responsible. Ford has developed the MyKey™ system, aimed at helping your drivers build road safety experience. MyKey lets owners program a key that limits the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages drivers to use their seat belt, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and notifies the driver when the car reaches speeds of 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.
Susan Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering says, “Ford not only offers industry-leading crash protection and crash avoidance systems, we also are committed to developing new technologies such as MyKey that encourage safer driving behavior.”
The MyKey technology is currently available on Ford Focus, Taurus and Escape models, and will eventually be available on all Ford vehicles. Visit Baxter Ford at the new location on 185th and Dodge to learn more about Ford’s MyKey technology.
Posted in Ford
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