Preventing Teen Driving Deaths (NAPSA)—Arecent survey conducted by The Allstate Foundation found some intriguing data about Parental Awareness of GDL Laws how parentsprotect their teens. While parents know the No. 1 killer of teens is car crashes caused by teen drivers, the majority don’t understand the main causes of these crashes or the current Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. The survey also found that many parents still delay safe-driving conversations with their teens until shortly before licensure, think [ Have never heard of them of car crashes, allow their teens to drive or ride in dangerous condi- [| Have heard of them but don’t know whatthey are behind the wheel. [| Know little about them their teens are immuneto the risk tions, and model unsafe behavior For ideas on protecting your child as a driver or passenger, con- sider these tips from parenting expert Dr. Laurence Steinberg: Talk with your child early andoften. The survey showedthat 54 per- cent of parents first talked about safe driving with their children at the ages of 14 and 15—a year or less before receiving a permit. Remember, car crashes are more deadly than drugs and suicide amongteens, so it’s critical to discuss safe driving early and often. Shake the “not my teen” syndrome. Two-thirds of parents think teens are bad drivers, but 88 per- cent trust their own teens to drive safely. As a constant reminder that no teen is immune, create a parent-teen driving agreement. Restrict dangerous driving situations. Ninety percent of parents permit their teens to drive after dark, 77 percent allow driving with friends and 70 percent allow dri- ving in bad weather within the first few months of licensure. To reduce your teen’s risk of a crash, [| Know a lot about them D A new survey suggests parents unknowingly fuel the problem of teen driving disasters. enforce rules about driving in these dangeroussituations. Practice what you preach. The survey showed that many parents have talked on a cell phone (71 percent); operated a radio or electronic device (62 percent); or broken the law (25 percent) while driving with their teen. Modeling good driving behavior as a parent is a majorrule of the road. Exert positive adult peer pressure. Almost half of the parents surveyed said other, more lenient parents makeit difficult to control their own teens’ driving privileges. To protect all teens, par- ents should encourage their peers and school administrators to create a culture of safe driving in the community. For state-by-state GDL laws and more information, visit www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com.
