How likely is your teen to be in a crash?
It’s no secret that teenagers love their independence, and being able to drive is the ultimate act of teenage freedom. As hard as it might be for us as parents to come to terms with our child growing up, we can’t deny this newfound freedom also frees us too. Gone are the days of school carpooling, sports drop-offs and late night social pick-ups. We are no longer the family taxi, and we’re actually starting to reclaim some ‘me time’ back. Even though we enjoy this newfound freedom, we can’t let go of the reins entirely. The need to keep our restricted drivers safe on the road is more important than ever. In the first six months of driving solo, a restricted driver is at greater risk of having a crash than at any other time in their life, and are seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than other drivers. Even if they are responsible drivers, their ability to react to others on the road is hindered by their inexperience. On top of that, the distraction of passengers or poor visibility at night, makes for challenging driving conditions. The problem is that teenagers’ are still developing and their assessment of risk is different to ours. This is why we need to remind them (and ourselves) of why the rules are so important. You probably enjoy them having their restricted as much as they do, but remember there’s a reason for the restrictions: Home by 10pm, no passengers.