Teen Driver Safety Tips

Teen Driver Safety Tips

For a parent, they are few things more frightening than handing over the keys to their teenage children for the first time. Especially knowing that the risk of crashing is the highest between 16-19-year-olds than any other age group.

These teen driver safety tips can help ease your worry and make sure your teen is safe and ready to get behind the wheel.

 

  1. Enroll Them In Driver Education.

A dilemma for many parents is deciding whether to teach their child to drive or leave it up to an expert. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends enrolling new drivers in a driver education program. This can help develop life-long safe driving habits. Each state has a list of approved driver education programs, often found on your state’s department of motor vehicles website. A resource for all states can be found at www.dmv.org/drivers-ed.php. teen driver safety

To ensure young drivers have the training and experience they need, safety groups are pushing for a national, mandatory graduated driver licensing system (GDL), which has proven to save lives.

  1. Research Which Vehicles Are Safer for Them.

When shopping for a vehicle for younger drivers, The National Highway Safety Institute recommends:

      • Looking for bigger, heavier vehicles that offer more protection (no mini or small cars were on the list)
      • Avoiding vehicles with high horsepower
      • Considering vehicles with an electronic stability control system to maintain traction and control on curves and slippery roads

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does extensive crash tests on cars and trucks to rate them for safety. Since many parents opt for a used vehicle for new teen drivers, they created a list of those that meet important safety criteria. The prices range from $2,000 to nearly $20,000. They found 53 “Best Choices” under $20,000, and 62 “Good Choices” that start at under $10,000.

Some of the “Best Choice” vehicles $20,000 or less include:

      • 2007 and newer Volvo S80 – large cars ($4,000)
      • 2013 and newer (built after October 2012) Volkswagen Passat – midsized cars ($6,600)
      • 2014 and newer (built after October 2013) Mazda CX-5 – small SUVs ($10,700)

These are some of the recommendations for “Good Choices” priced at $10,000 or less:

      • 2010-2016 Buick LaCrosse – large cars ($6,200)
      • 2009-2014 Volkswagen Jetta sedan and wagon – midsized cars ($3,800)
      • 2007-2011 Honda Element – small SUVs ($4,400)

Most of these vehicles now include safety technology – such as collision avoidance systems and full airbag protection for drivers and passengers. See the complete list at https://www.iihs.org/ratings/safe-vehicles-for-teens.

  1. Observe Their Driving Habits.

Before you let your new driver start on the road to independence, check that he or she knows the vehicle and understands safe operating procedures, such as:

      • Adjusting the seat and mirrors before leaving the driveway
      • Putting on seat belts and ensuring that all passengers are buckled in
      • Using turn signals
      • Looking in all directions before pulling into traffic (even at green lights)
      • Accelerating and braking smoothly
      • Following at a safe distance
      • Avoiding distractions

To help avoid confrontations with irate drivers, parents can put a “New Driver” sticker on the vehicle the new driver will be using.

  1. Reinforce the Dangers of Distracted Driving.

Distracted and inattentive driving is one of the leading causes of crashes for all drivers. Especially for teens. The crash rate for newly licensed teens was almost double that of teen drivers with a few years of experience, according to the NHTSA.

Here are some strategies to help prevent inattentive driving:

      • Pledge, along with your teenage driver, to avoid texting or using social media behind the wheel.
      • Use apps that block incoming calls and texts, and send alerts when the app is turned off.
      • Teach children to speak out when they are with a driver who’s distracted.
      • Request that they not speed, goof off, or drive impaired (or get into a car with someone who is upset or impaired).
      • Help your teen map out routes and create music lists before heading out.

Impact Teen Drivers, a non-profit founded through a partnership between California Association of Highway Patrolmen, California Casualty and California Teachers Association, offers free, creative ways for parents and teens to educate young drivers about the dangers of distracted and careless driving. Visit www.impactteendrivers.org to learn more. teen driver safety

  1. Fully Insure Your Teen Drivers.

While higher auto insurance premiums are a hard reality for parents, you don’t want to skimp on your coverage. Did you know that California Casualty has really good rates for teen drivers?

Lack of experience behind the wheel makes them more likely to be involved in a collision, even a minor one. Increasing your liability limits, and adding full coverage, ensures that your insurance is enough to cover your assets. (Now is also a great time to learn more about an Umbrella Policy if you don’t already have one.)

Here are some ways to help manage the insurance costs for teen drivers:

      • Take advantage of good student discounts
      • Purchase cars that have modern safety features and a good safety rating
      • Consider a monitoring system that tracks your young driver’s habits
      • Enroll them in a defensive driving course
      • Cut driving miles by carpooling and using mass transit
      • Let your insurer know if the driver is away at college

Hopefully, your teen driver will gain experience, and you’ll feel more confident each time they get behind the wheel, knowing they are in the safest vehicle, armed with the best advice, and are paying attention to the road and other drivers.

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

 

Someone Got Hurt Watching the Game- Now What?

Someone Got Hurt Watching the Game- Now What?

It’s officially the best time of the year. Football season!

Everyone knows that football is not the same without watch parties and tailgates! You’ve got the cold drinks, the savory BBQ, and the big screen ready for friends and family to come over and watch your favorite teams all season long. However, there could be one thing missing. Homeowners or renters insurance.

Let’s face it, accidents happen. Especially when you have a rowdy crowd on your hands and your team is deep in the 4th quarter. Homeowners and renters insurance protects you if one of your guests stumbles into your flat screen and it falls to the floor. Or, if someone trips and crashes through that glass table in the living room. With the proper coverage, you won’t be penalized.

If something in your home gets broken or stolen while you have people over, your policy will cover it. But, if you have high-value items that could get damaged or go missing like jewelry, antiques, collectibles, or furs, you will need to add extra coverage – scheduled personal property. Accidents are inevitable, but the best way to avoid losing or having to replace your collectibles is to put them in a safe place, away from the crowd when you are hosting events. Think locked room or basement.

What if Someone Gets Hurt in My House?

Any time you are a host, especially for a high energy crowd, there’s the risk that someone may accidentally get injured. Whether it’s from a touchdown dance celebration or tripping on a rug, homeowners and renters insurance with personal liability coverage will cover it.

If you are serving alcohol, be aware, the Insurance Information Institute (III) warns that hosts can be liable if others are hurt by anyone driving from your party while intoxicated. It’s called the social host liability law. Personal liability coverage will also help in this situation by covering payments of medical bills and lawsuits from someone who was hurt on or off (leaving) your property. There are limits, so you talk to your insurance advisor about an umbrella policy, which will provide much greater coverage.

What Else Can I Do?

Here are some important hosting safety tips you can use during football season:

  • Talk with your insurance advisor about any policy exclusions or limitations before you throw a party
  • Install proper lighting inside and outside of your home
  • Remove valuable items and objects that could cause tripping or falling
  • Consider holding your getting together at a restaurant or bar instead
  • Have someone sober in charge of monitoring guests
  • Encourage the use of Uber and designated drivers
  • Lock up pets in a separate location or outside
  • Make guests who’ve had too much to drink turn over their keys

Make sure you’re on the winning team if you are hosting a football party. Contact a California Casualty advisor today to make sure your homeowners or renters insurance will protect you in a liability blitz. Call 1.866.704.8614 or visit www.calcas.com.

 

Back to School Safety Lessons

Back to School Safety Lessons

The hustle and bustle of the first days of the new school year can get a little crazy. Kids are racing to see their friends, buses are crisscrossing the area picking up and dropping off students and hurried parents are trying to drop their kids off before they have to head to work. Paying attention often goes by the wayside.

This is why it’s more important than ever to practice extreme caution around school zones and neighborhoods.

The National Safety Council warns that more children are hit by cars near schools than at any other location. That’s why they ask that drivers:

    • Don’t double park because it blocks visibility
    • Don’t load or unload children across the street from schools
    • Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at school
    • Put down cell phones and other mobile devices

Other safety tips to prevent auto-pedestrian injuries around schools include:

    • Not blocking crosswalks when stopped at a red light or making a turn forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of traffic
    • Always stopping for school crossing guards
    • Using extra caution to look out for children at bus stops, school zones, playgrounds and parks and in all residential areas
    • Never passing a vehicle stopped for pedestrians
    • Remembering that pedestrians have the right of way

And to prevent distracted walking and texting accidents, students are reminded to keep their head up and phone down and:

    • Never walk while texting or talking on the phone
    • Always move out of the way of others and stop on the sidewalk to text
    • Never cross the street while using an electronic device
    • Do not walk with headphones on
    • Be aware of their surroundings
    • Always walk on the sidewalk if one is available; if a child must walk on the street, he or she should face oncoming traffic
    • Look left, right, then left again before crossing the street
    • Cross only at crosswalks

Remember, the first days of school can be a dangerous time for excited students. Safety experts stress that we all need to slow down near school zones, wear seatbelts, leave early so we aren’t rushing and never drive distracted (texting, eating or drinking, horsing around with passengers or adjusting the radio or adjusting the navigation system).

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

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