Teen driving books are an important component of the teenage how-to-drive safely learning experience.
Teen Driving Statistics
Teen driving statistics are sobering - all the more reason that every safe driving tactic available should be used, including teen driving books.
- Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teens.
- 16 year olds are the most likely group of drivers to be involved in a vehicle accident.
- 16 year olds are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers combined.
- Around 6,000 teens die each year in vehicle accidents.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the economic impact of auto accidents involving 15-20 year old drivers is over $40 billion; adding to the high insurance rate costs.
- According to NHTSA 23 percent of teen drivers who died in vehicle accidents in 2005 were intoxicated.
What Teens Say about Teen Drivers
A startling 2005 survey of 1,000 people ages 15 and 17 conducted by the Allstate Foundation found out the following:
- More than half (56 percent) of young drivers use cell phones while driving
- 69 percent said that they speed to keep up with traffic
- 64 percent said they speed to go through a yellow light.
- 47 percent said that passengers sometimes distract them.
- Nearly half said they believed that most crashes involving teens result from drunk driving.
Insure Safe Teen Driving Skills
Parenting teens gets tougher once a teen starts driving. A great wftv Florida news report offers the following ideas that can help parents insure safer driving skills for teens:
- Invest in extra driver training. Don't rely on typical teen drivers ed to do the job. Private classes can be spendy, but in the long run statistic show that teens taking extra courses drive safer. Also, you may be able to get a discount on your insurance policy.
- Let your teen drive you everywhere. Going to the store, bank, or school? Have your teen drive. The more practice your teen gets with you in the car the better.
- Talk about driving as you drive. Turn off the radio and discuss any hazards you come across or tips about defensive driving.
- No yelling, screaming, or putting your teen down while she drives. Not only is this dangerous but it's also not respectful or useful. Teens are actually young adults so treat them this way. If your teen makes a mistake while driving, save the discussion until you are both safely home and calm.
- Review the driving session you and your teen have together; calmly and rationally.
These are great on the road tips for creating better teen drivers. Another way is by investing in a few great books geared towards teen drivers.
Find the Best Teen Driving Books
An easy way to find a great teen driving book might be to ask a teen. They have friends learning to drive, talk about driving in teenage chat rooms, and have an invested interests in learning to drive; they may have researched this more than you know. Even if your teen doesn't have an idea in mind concerning a driving book it's always important to involve them in the process. A driving book they like the looks of will be much more likely to get read.
Check with your insurance company and see if they offer a free driving book for teens - many do. You can also check with the local high school or library. Both will have some ideas to offer.
Lastly, you can just go to a site like Amazon.com and enter in a search for teen books about driving but a better way to go about this is to look at safety minded sites and teen driving sites that already stringently review driving books.
Some Good Driving Book Picks
- Crash Proof Your Kids: This book is for parents of teens who drive. The most important thing you do before allowing you teen to drive is learning how to safe-proof them. This book will help you do just that.
- This Girl's First Car: Teenage Girls Guide To Safe Car Care & Easy Maintenance Tips: Long title, great book covering the less noticed teen girl drivers. Often teen males get all the attention when it comes to driving but this book is an empowering read for your teen daughter.
- Drive To Survive
Roadskillz: Ok, this is a DVD not a book. But as a final good tip, it's smart to consider DVDs for the less reading inclined teen. TV for teens can be useful. As long as they're getting all the information that they need to stay safe on the road it won't matter if your teen gets the information from a book or DVD.
