On Thursday me and a few girlfriends had a girls night out and attended the Drive it home event sponsored by the Allstate Foundation. Make sure you check out their website for their interactive videos, helpful information and other valuable resources. All three of us moms that attended the event have teens who are driving or are about to drive. Both of my friends who went say they are glad they did. It taught us so much. It was not only a much needed night out but also a great event. I was so impressed with the Drive it home event. We not only learned a lot of information to help our teen drivers but we also were made to laugh by the 2nd city players. It was quite a comedy!
Here’s some of the many great facts we learned.
1. The number one cause of crashes among teenagers is inexperience. How frightening is that thought? We have to do more training with them in the car and we are currently investigating my son taking a defensive driving course. What does the cost matter we must prepare our children for the road. Inexperience beats texting and alcohol for cause of crashes. There were 327 fatalities involving teen drivers in Tennessee during 09-11! I want that statistic brought way down.
2. The number two cause is speed control. The teens are either following too closely or pull out and practically stopping after pulling out to turn, etc. We’ve seen my son do both of these things. It’s like they’re not aware of the problems they cause if they pull out and go at a snail’s pace when someone was already going the speed limit in that lane.
3. Misjudging the gap between cars is another reason. They don’t seem to be able to comprehend that they are driving a 2000 lb weapon that will hurt others and themselves. It’s so scary teaching my son how to drive. So scary!
4. They need to be taught to be constantly scanning ahead in the distance to be aware of potential dangers to come.
5. Teen friends in the car is worst then texting. It’s a huge distraction and so dangerous.
6. Practice driving in all conditions. Night driving, rain driving, as well as during the day driving is so important.
This is the most dangerous year of their life. Learning to drive is a right of passage. But it’s so important that they can handle themselves in all situations. Each day of experience causes their crash risk to go down. Make sure you keep practicing with them regardless of if they already have their license. It’s so important. Thank you Allstate for your drive it home event. It was such a valuable resource for me and my friends. Check out this video they did to give you a few tips to keep your teen safe.
Research from The Allstate Foundation shows nearly half of parents express regret about not monitoring their teen driver after they get a license, and more than two-thirds wish they spent more time practicing driving with their teen in high-risk situations. To educate parents on driving risks, the Allstate Foundation is helping NSC launch Drive It Home, a new program offering specially created resources to help parents keep their teens safer on the road, especially after a teen gets a driver’s license.
Don’t be a statistic. Practice, practice, practice with your teen! Even after they get their license.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
This is the seventh annual Stampede and personally my fourth year to attend. I’ve attended hundreds of driving events over the years. I’ve discussed hundreds more with other enthusiasts. I’ve even researched drives throughout the country and read many different experiences. Nothing can compare to the Stampede. Many other drives encounter great roads. Many are well planned. However, it’s the level of planning, the safety precautions, and even the intricate maps which supersede everything else. The “Tourmaster” is behind all this planning, yet always in front leading the way. We, the Stampede participants, are incredibly thankful.