<![CDATA[teen drivers - Walton Law Firm]]> https://www.northcountyinjurylawyers.com/blog/tags/teen-drivers/ Tue, 18 Mar 2025 22:01:07 GMT en-us <![CDATA[Reducing Teen Driving Accidents and Parent Anxieties in Escondido]]> https://www.northcountyinjurylawyers.com/blog/reducing-teen-driving-accidents-and-parent-anxieties-in-escondido/ https://www.northcountyinjurylawyers.com/blog/reducing-teen-driving-accidents-and-parent-anxieties-in-escondido/ Sat, 03 Oct 2020 02:08:08 GMT When teenagers begin driving in Escondido, the experience can be extremely stressful for parents—both as passengers in the front seat and as nervous figures waiting at home for a teenager to return safely with the car. According to an article in Forbes, parent anxiety might not be helping teenagers at all when it comes to…

]]> When teenagers begin driving in Escondido, the experience can be extremely stressful for parents—both as passengers in the front seat and as nervous figures waiting at home for a teenager to return safely with the car. According to an article in Forbes, parent anxiety might not be helping teenagers at all when it comes to reducing the rate of car accidents. Rather than feeling nervous about having your teen behind the wheel, it is better to take steps to combat your anxieties surrounding your child obtaining a driver’s license and to focus on rational tasks that can provide your teen driver with the safety training they need to stay safe on the road.

Teen Driving is Dangerous

Parents’ anxieties surrounding teen driving are not unfounded. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, on average, six teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 die every day in a motor vehicle collision, and as many as 300,000 teens require treatment in emergency departments every year for car accident injuries. Yet, as the CDC underscores and the Forbes article emphasizes, teen driving collisions are preventable.

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the number of driving courses available to teens in California and throughout the country, many parents will be the ones to teach their kids to drive. Rather than panicking behind the wheel, or suggesting to your teen that their driving makes your nervous, it is better to be calm and collected, and to teach effective safety habits.

Teaching Teens to Drive Safely

The first part of teaching a teenager to be safe behind the wheel involves creating a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement in which you can set out your expectations for your teen’s driving, and your teenager can agree to consequences if they do not honor the terms of the agreement.

Next, be a good role model for your teen driver. Whenever you are driving, avoid your smartphone entirely until you have pulled over, always buckle up, and, as the article suggests, “drive like you’re on candid camera.” In other words, drive as though you are being monitored constantly, and strive to set a good example for your teen driver. Did you know that as many as 37% of parents with teen drivers admit to using apps on smartphones while they are driving? That data comes from a Liberty Mutual Insurance survey, which showed that teens tended to use their smartphones while driving at similar rates as parents.

In addition to being a role model, it is important to teach your teen how to use the various safety features on your automobile, and if you are able to do so, to purchase a car that has many new forms of safety technology to keep your teen driver safe. A variety of relatively new used cars from the last decade continue to have excellent safety ratings while offering a more affordable price point. For example, the Forbes article reports that used Subaru Legacy, Toyota Venza, Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback, GMC Terrain, and a variety of other vehicles are strong options for teen drivers and can be purchased in good condition for well under $10,000.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Escondido

If you need assistance with a car accident claim, an Escondido car accident attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Avoiding Summer Auto Accident Dangers in Carlsbad Speeding Accidents and Inclement Weather in San Clemente

]]> <![CDATA[Reducing Alcohol-Related Teen Auto Accidents]]> https://www.northcountyinjurylawyers.com/blog/reducing-alcohol-related-teen-auto-accidents/ https://www.northcountyinjurylawyers.com/blog/reducing-alcohol-related-teen-auto-accidents/ Fri, 27 May 2016 16:09:27 GMT According to a recent report from NPR, car accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, and in a surprisingly high number of those crashes, alcohol plays a role. About 25% of all teenage traffic collisions involve alcohol. In states where there are substantial restrictions on alcohol usage and serious repercussions for impaired…

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According to a recent report from NPR, car accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, and in a surprisingly high number of those crashes, alcohol plays a role. About 25% of all teenage traffic collisions involve alcohol. In states where there are substantial restrictions on alcohol usage and serious repercussions for impaired driving, the rate of teenage auto accident fatalities tends to be lower, according to a recent study reported by NPR. What do the findings of this new study tell us? California and states across the country should put policies into place that help to curb teens’ purchase and use of alcohol, and to take steps to make the consequences of drinking and driving more severe.

Regulations on Alcohol Sales for the General Population When we talk about regulations aimed at limiting the purchase of alcohol and its consumption by underage teen drivers, what kinds of regulations are we thinking about in practice? According to the NPR report, there are a number of regulations that can accomplish these goals with relative ease, and all of them target the general population. In other words, policies aimed strictly at teens do not tend to have the results we want. Rather, it is important to consider regulations that would limit alcohol purchases for everyone, including San Diego residents who can legally purchase it. Examples of these policies include but are not limited to:

  • Limiting the total hours in a day or week that stores can sell alcohol;

  • Restricting the “density of alcohol outlets in a particular area”; and

  • Increasing the taxes on sales of alcohol.

Can pricing practices and the potential increase of alcohol tax actually prevent teens from drinking? According to Scott Hadland, the lead author of the study who also is a physician of adolescent medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, “younger people are very sensitive to the price of alcohol.” Indeed, Hadland went on to explain that when it comes to teens and alcohol, “they are unable to consume it to the same extent because it becomes very expensive.”

Policies Aimed at Teens Who Drink and Drive While regulations that impact the general population tend to be among the most effective at limiting alcohol-related teenage car accidents, there are also some policies aimed at teens that can be effective. For instance, the NPR report cites two specific policies:

  • Those holding parents accountable for teenage drinking on their properties; and

  • Graduated driver’s license (GDL) programs.

In case you do not know about graduating driver’s license programs, they “restrict new drivers until they reach a certain and experience level.” The restrictions imposed by GDL programs can vary, including restrictions on:

  • Cell phone use in the car;

  • Nighttime driver; and

  • Number of passengers permitted in the vehicle.

Contact a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer If you or someone you love recent suffered serious or fatal injuries in a car crash involving an impaired driver, and experienced San Diego auto accident lawyer can assist with your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about filing a claim for compensation.

See Related Blog Posts: Self-Driving Cars Not Yet Safe for Everyday Use, Advocates Say Google Self-Driving Car Accident

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