Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers year-round, but Memorial Day kicks off the 100 deadliest days of driving for teenagers, according to the National Safety Council.
Teens load their friends in the car during summer; they're likely to be out later at night, when the risk of crashes increases for all ages; warm, clear conditions tempt drivers to speed; and there are simply more drivers on the road from June through August.
Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Insurance conducted a study that looks at teenage -- and parent -- driving behaviors.
"Parents are not great role models," said Gene Beresin, senior adviser with SADD and executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "As a matter of fact, they're pretty poor role models for teenage driving."
Particularly with regard to using cellphones while driving, which now accounts for one in four car crashes.
Fifty-five percent of surveyed parents say they use apps while driving, and 62 percent say they use their phone to check incoming calls or talk while they're driving, either by holding the phone or using hands-free speakers.
One-third of teenagers have asked their parents to stop using their phones while driving, the survey found.
The survey included 2,500 teens and 1,000 parents of teens.
Parents are also guilty of texting and calling their teenagers even when they know they're behind the wheel; 50 percent of parents admitted doing so, and one-third expect a response before the teen reaches a destination.
"The good news is this sets the stage for a conversation between parents and teenagers," Beresin said.
He offered some pointers for lowering the risk of crashes this summer and beyond.
• Encourage your teenager to summon you or a cab if he is tired. The survey found one-third of teens drive while they're drowsy, and nearly one in 10 have fallen asleep at the wheel.
• Program navigation and music apps -- the two most commonly used apps for teens -- before you or your teen starts the car. And then toss the phone where it can't be reached. "Navigation apps can be programmed to speak to you," Beresin said. "Program a playlist ahead of time. If the phone is within your reach and you hear or see a notification, you're going to be very tempted to either look down or pick it up. And the bottom line is you don't need to."
• Set a different ring and text tone for emergencies. "If a kid hears the normal ring tone or normal text tone, it's not an emergency and they can ignore it," Beresin said. "If a kid hears the special ring tone indicating this is an emergency, he can pull over at the nearest exit or the nearest parking lot and pick it up."
• Remember that teenagers' brains are still developing. "Teenagers are driven by emotion," Beresin said. "If their emotions are saying, 'I've got to see that notification' or 'I've got to hear that song,' that's going to be much more powerful than reasoning things out in the moment." Don't give them more temptations by texting or calling unnecessarily, and remind them frequently that priority No. 1 is safety behind the wheel.
"We're all, in some ways, hostages of digital media and smartphones," Beresin said.
ActiveStyle on 05/29/2017