Top 3 teen driving mistakes
Three-fifths of driving instructors say parents today are worse at preparing their teens to drive than a decade ago, according to a new survey of driving instructors nationwide.
A summary about the survey was published by MedlinePlus Health, a product of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
In the past five years, nearly 14,000 fatal accidents involved teen drivers in the U.S., according to MedlinePlus Health. And nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in teen driving crashes are people other than the teen.
Top three teen driving mistakes
The survey identified the top three mistakes instructors said teens made while learning to drive:
▪ Driving too fast
▪ Being distracted
▪ Not scanning for hazards
Tips for parents
Here are some tips from AAA and MedlinePlus Health about how parents can help teens learning to drive:
▪ Regularly discuss dangers of speeding and distractions
▪ Practice driving with teens in varying conditions
▪ Create and enforce agreements about about driving rules
▪ Lead by example – children and teens are influence by their parents’ driving habits
▪ Teens whose parents impose stricter driving limits have fewer traffic violations and crashes
Gabriella Dunn: 316-268-6400, @gabriella_dunn
This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 7:02 AM with the headline "Top 3 teen driving mistakes."