When a child turns sixteen there is a universal feeling of excitement over the prospect of getting their drivers license.  Dreams of freedom and independence race through their minds as the giddily await the day where mom and dad hand over the keys.  While teenagers dream – mom and dad have nightmares worrying about whether or not they will be safe on the road.  Fear of car accidents and reckless driving race through their mind as they await that dreaded moment when Junior asks for the keys.

Many states have enacted laws to help keep teen drivers safe by requiring them to gradually work their way up to complete driving access.  Regardless of what your state requires parents have the right, and should, make rules of their own.  Your teen may protest but it is better to have an angry teenager than an injured or dead one.  Over 5,000 teens die in car accidents every year –more than from any other cause.  It is critical that parents take enforcing safe driving practices seriously in order to keep their children safe.  Yes, turning 16 is an exciting time and one to look forward to but turning 17 is even more important. 

Here are some things you can do to protect your kids:

1. Driving Classes.  It is essential for teens to take a drivers education course.  They need to learn the rules of the road, classroom style, then practice driving with an instructor.  Driving can be dangerous so working with an instructor in a safe environment is critical.  They need to learn how to do things like quickly break, use their turn signal, use their mirrors etc. before ever driving on the road.
2. Defensive Driving.  Teens need to practice looking for potential accidents.  One way to do that is to have them look for dangers while riding with you.  Have them point out potential hazards like children playing with the basketball or the stop sign that cars often run.  They need to recognize the dangers of the road so that they can respond quickly.
3. Practice.   Have your teen practice with you or another adult in the car for a couple months.  A few times out is simply not enough. Make sure they are driving like a pro before you stop riding with them.
4. Cell Phones.  Do not let your teen drive with a cell phone.  Demand that they place it in the glove box or out of reach so that if it goes off they are not tempted to check a text and use a phone while driving.  Cell phones contribute to 28% of accidents and allowing them to use one while driving is a receipe for disaster.
5. Friends.  Establish a rule that they cannot drive with friends for the first six months.  Having friends in the car may cause your teen to push the limit to show off or cause them to be distracted.  Keep them safe by allowing them to drive solo.
6. Curfew.  Do not let your teen drive late at night.  Determine what time you are comfortable with and enforce a curfew.  That curfew may be earlier than one they have now but driving while tired can have the same effect as driving drunk.  Do not put your teen at risk by letting them drive late.

Talk to your teen about what to do in the event that they are in an accident.  Make sure they have an insurance agent and the agents contact information with them at all times.  It is also a good idea to have an attorney on hand for emergencies.  Most teens get into some type of car accident, even if a minor bump in the parking lot.  Having an attorney on hand to call allows your teen to receive instructions on how to handle the accident.  Attorneys like Davis, Saperstein & Salomon offer free consultations so there is no harm in calling.  Stress with your teen the importance of staying safe and that as they prove they are responsible they will gradually gain more freedom on the road.

Protect yourself in the event of an accident

Auto insurance is a necessity for any driver.  Some people may challenge this statement due to a conflicting opinion on whether or not they should be “required” to have insurance.  If you have the finances to pay for injury to yourself or your car in the event of an accident insurance may seem arbitrary.  The problem is that accidents are just that – accidents.  If you could plan for an accident and the amount of damaged that would be caused then save money accordingly it would no longer be an accident.  It would be a plan.  Since I don’t know any drivers that “plan” on getting into a car wreck insurance therefore becomes important.  The trick is making sure your insurance covers everything you may need.

Review your policy to make sure it has the following components:

1. Uninsured motorist coverage.  If someone hits you that is uninsured and you don’t have this as part of your policy the insurance company may deny some or all of your claim.  According to Frank Jenkins Law blog there are some states like Kentucky that require drivers to have insurance making this less of a concern.  Find out if this is a requirement in your state by calling the insurance commissioner or DMV.
2. Comprehensive coverage.  This will cover everything not accident related like theft or hitting an animal (more important if you live in the woods).
3. Collision coverage.  This is the big one – make sure you are covered in the event of a car accident.
4. Medical.  Make sure your insurance policy will cover your medical expenses in the event of an accident.  Medical expenses are often more costly than the actual damage to your vehicle. 
5. Gap Coverage.  Most people are unaware of Gap coverage and why you should have it.  Lets say you purchase a brand new truck for $43,000 on a zero down special.  As soon as you drive the truck off the lot you will probably owe more than its worth on a private party resell.  If you then get into an accident that totals the car your insurance company will pay the value of the car toward the loan.  If you owe more than it was worth you could end up owing the bank money.  Gap coverage pays the difference between what the car is worth and what you owe.

There are many insurance companies to choose from so get quotes from multiple carriers to determine the best policy and pricing for you.  Understanding the different components of insurance is important for comparing “apples” to “apples”.  For example if you compare a policy with a $500 deductible to one with a  $1,500 deductible the second policy should cost you less per month.  Make sure the policies offer the same amount of protection, financial coverage, and deductibles to get a true quote comparison.  Stay alert and remember the best way to avoid an accident and needing insurance is to practice safe driving.

Distracted drivers put people at risk.

If most teenagers, and many adults, had their way a smart phone would be permanently glued to their hand.  With texting, emailing, Facebook, Twitter, games, navigation, pictures, video and chat people are glued to their phones.  We live in a hyper-connected world and many people do not know how or when to finally put the phone down.  On a daily basis I see drivers talking on their phone, texting and looking at the internet.  Whether it is the car in front of me ignoring the green light or the teenager texting while she swerves through traffic – using a smart phone while driving is simply not smart.

Part of the problem is that everyone is in a hurry.  Driving causes a temporary communication delay in text, email and chats – a delay that many people are unwilling to have.  Choosing to stay connected around the clock these drivers put everyone else at risk.  It is important for each one of us to understand what we are putting in jeopardy.  Districted drivers cause accidents and accidents lead to personal injury, property damage and even death.  Recently at the State Fair I saw a car that was completely crushed on one side.  The front left fender, driver’s door, and side panel were crumpled up like a napkin with all the windows broken.  I thought it was the standard “don’t drink and drive car”.  While those are an important warning I am fully aware of the dangers of drinking and driving so it doesn’t normally capture mine, or the crowds, attention.  I saw a crowd standing around the car so I walked over to see what the fuss was about.  To my surprise the accident was not caused by drunk driving – it was caused by texting.  A teenage girl was texting on her way to school and because she was distracted she ran a light, was hit by an SUV and killed.  Her life was taken in the blink of an eye simply because she could not wait to finish driving before texting her friends.  According to Mariano Morales Law Firm it is accidents like these that caused Washington State to ban texting while driving.

Staying connected through your phone is not worth risking your life or the life of anyone else.  What difference will it make if someone does not hear from you in the next ten minutes?  Will they die?  Will the world stop turning?  No – they will simply want to text you back again.  If the matter is so urgent than pull over and call them back.  Regardless of your age, experience driving, time of day or where you are going – driving while on your smart phone is not safe.  Respect yourself and everyone else on the road by pulling over.

It helps to be prepared…

The sound of tires squealing and metal on metal as a two cars crash together –there can be nothing more frightening than the moments leading up to a crash while a driver desperately tries to move out-of-the-way of an out of control vehicle.  As a safe driver, using your best defensive driving skills, there may be no way to avoid getting in a wreck.  It could be that the other driver is busy listening to Maroon Five while lining her lips with the latest shade of pink or maybe it’s the guy texting his budding while speeding through the red light after meeting up for beer.  Unfortunately good drivers have to share the road with bad ones.

With over 6 million car accidents in the United States every year drivers should know what to do in the event that you find yourself on the receiving end of a driver not paying attention.  On the blog for Attorneys Millar & Mixon they give the following advice on what to do incase you are in an accident:

1.   Pull over to the side of the road and signal the other driver to do the same.  If this is impossible due to the severity of the accident stay put and wait for the authorities.
2.  Call the police or state patrol. Even if everyone appears to be physically safe call the authorities.  Ask them to come and fill out an accident report.  Without an accident report it becomes a “he said” “she said” situation in court.
3.  Exchange insurance and ID information with the other party.  If you have a camera phone take a picture of their ID, license plate, vehicle, and insurance card.   Make sure that the address on their ID is current – do not assume.  Also get a phone number and email address. 
4. Take pictures of the scene with your phone. Photograph both of your vehicles from various angles (up close and far away), the road going both directions, street signs and anything else that would tell the story of where and how it happened.
5. Write down notes, even on scratch paper, of your account of what happened.  Make sure to include the time and every detail from before, during and after the accident including anything the other driver told you.
6. If your accident was severe call your family and let them know what happened.  If you are being transferred to a hospital they will likely want to meet you there and may even want to come to the scene of the accident to wait with you.
7. Call an attorney, set an appointment and take the notes, pictures and accident report with you.

On a personal note two years ago I was t-boned while driving to work.  I was going straight (cars tend to do that) minding my own business when a driver did a u-turn into me.  I was frazzled, upset and shocked.  It may sound dramatic but it seriously threw me off my normally cool and steady mindset.  Since I wasn’t thinking clearly I didn’t document anything other than getting the guys insurance information.  Two years later there is a legal fight to prove it was his fault.  What I thought was common sense (driving into the side of someone’s car is wrong) is requiring information that if I had followed the steps above – I would have had.  Hopefully you will never be in an accident.  In the event that you are follow these tips to make sure you are covered.