Teaching Teens to Drive Safely

Back in 2007, Congress created National Teen Driver Safety Week to address the fact that, on an annual basis, car accidents are the number one cause of death for America's youth aged 16 to 19. As reported by the suntimes.com, statistics indicate that every seven days in the United States, about 68 families throughout the country face with the inconceivable tragedy of burying a high school-aged child after having lost him or her to a car crash. That amounts to the death of over 3,500 teenagers each year on U.S. roads. "We're working to make the roads safer for everyone," Bill Wade, program manager for the national non-profit teen driver program Tire Rack Street Survival said to the suntimes.com. "Although it's a year-round problem, National Teen Driver Safety Week is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness and educate parents and teens on the importance of learning proper car control, since few realize that driving is one of the most dangerous things they can do." In 2011, National Teen Driver Safety Week runs from October 16 to October 22. Insurance provider State Farm has been a big proponent of National Teen Driver Safety week since its inception, and has been greatly involved in promoting awareness of the need for greater teen driver safety. According to on-line news source simtelegraph.com, the insurer has spent close to $20 million in funding research aimed at enhancing the safety of teens on the road. “Teen car crashes affect all who share our roads. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, and year-round, we invite everyone to join the national conversation aimed at preventing unnecessary injuries and loss of life,” said Laurette Stiles, vice president of Strategic Resources at State Farm, according to simtelegraph.com. Tire Rack advises parents of teenage drivers to set limits on their teen's driving. This is particularly important during potentially high-risk occasions like a weather storm, prom night, and New Year's Eve. Parents should keep in mind that the distraction level inside a car increases the more teens are present. Parents should also be wary of allowing their teen to ride with another young driver who has less than one full year of driving experience under his belt. "Having teens behind the wheel doesn't have to be a terrifying occurrence for parents," said Matt Edmonds, vice president of Tire Rack to suntimes.com. “If you prepare young drivers with the knowledge and training they need to anticipate and understand how to deal with dangers on the road and their vehicle's capabilities, they'll have a much higher chance of avoiding an accident." It is a wise idea for parents of teenage drivers to look at on-line sites such as

to compare auto insurance, in order to make sure that their child is carrying the best, most complete coverage in the terrible event of an accident.