18 Back to School 2016
BACK TO SCHOOL | TEEN DRIVERS
Getting to School Safely
T
here comes a time when your little boy or girl transforms into a young adult, fully
capable of driving to school. While this can be an overwhelming experience for mom
and dad, it also is one that can teach your child great independence and responsibility.
As technology continues to
evolve, it is more important
than ever to outline the dan-
gers of distracted driving.
Below are some eye-opening
statistics that could lead to
further conversation with your
teen on the importance of
staying focused while driving.
The AAA Foundation for
Traffic Safety found that dis-
traction was a factor in nearly
six out of 10 moderate to
severe teen crashes, which is
four times as many as official
estimates based on police
reports.
The most common forms of
distraction leading up to a
crash by a teen driver, accord-
ing to the AAA, include:
• Interacting with one or
more passengers: 15 percent;
• Cell phone use: 12 percent;
• Looking at something in
the vehicle: 10 percent;
• Looking at something out-
side the vehicle: 9 percent;
• Singing/moving to music:
8 percent;
• Grooming: 6 percent; and
• Reaching for an object: 6
percent.
© FOTOLIA
CHILD PASSENGER TIPS
You may decide to enlist the
help of your teen driver in
transporting younger siblings
to school or daycare. Here are
some tips on passenger safety
from the American Academy
of Pediatrics:
• All passengers should wear
a seat belt or use an age- and
size-appropriate car safety
seat or booster seat.
• Your child should ride in a
car safety seat with a harness
as long as possible and then
ride in a belt-positioning
booster seat.
• Your child is ready for a
booster seat when she has
reached the top weight or
height allowed for her seat,
her shoulders are above the
top harness slots, or her ears
have reached the top of the
seat.
• Your child should ride in a
belt-positioning booster seat
until the vehicle’s seat belt fits
properly (usually when the
child reaches about 4-foot-9 in
height and is between 8 and
12 years of age).