It is a headline which appears all too frequently -- another teen driver and friends were involved in a serious or deadly accident. The story points out the teen driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to strike another vehicle, an object, or flip over several times!
Every year 5,500 to 6,000 teens are killed in the United States due to vehicular accidents. The "lost-control"-type accident is easily the most frequent, and most serious type of accident involving teens today. One can easily relate to being an invincible teen. In fact, a teenager is at the most vulnerable time of life! This is especially true when it comes to driving. Never have teen drivers been more vulnerable than on today's highways!
Two major root causes of lost-control accidents are failure to properly control speed on a consistent basis and failure to avoid or eliminate distractions.
A new driver needs to focus on proper speed control at all times. Proper speed must be a fundamental habit once teens start driving without supervision. The first tendency you face once you are driving alone is the temptation to drive faster. If you are leaving late to your destination, you automatically start to drive faster and enhance your chances of being in an accident. Develop a habit of departing, in sufficient time, to reach your destination 15-20 minutes before you actually need to be there. This is extremely critical for every teen driver to understand! You must drive responsibly and avoid being the follower when your peers ask you to drive faster. This creates a very dangerous situation. You do not want to be responsible for flipping over your vehicle and possibly injuring yourself or your friends. Drive responsibly and drive at safe speeds at all times!
Distractions are the second root cause of lost-control accidents. The first objective prior to your turning on your vehicle is to check and align all the mirrors for maximum vision, place all your personal articles in a safe place, and set up your radio or CD player in order to eliminate the distraction of changing your CD while you are driving. Have a set plan of how you will get to your destination. If you do not have a good city map, you are asking for trouble. Invest in a map right away!
If you are interested in learning more on distractions and how to eliminate being involved in a "lost-control" accident, you may order the audio tape: "Distractions and How to Solve Them" send a $12.00 check or money order, plus $3.00 shipping and handling to: DIA, BX 80203, Austin, TX 78706-0203. If you would like a quote on a DIA Teen Driving Seminar, or one-on-one Teen driver training call (512) 918-9506. DIA is committed to reducing the teen driving fatalities by 50% in the next 3-5 years!
All DIA articles are intended as increased professional knowledge for improving perception of driving and driving skills. This information will not eliminate any accident on the part of anyone who fails to drive according to these principles. Drive courteously and responsibly!
