Videos

Parents are Key

Added Feb 04, 2025 •

Copy this URL:
Embed code:	<iframe class="edlio-embed-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="360" src="//whs.iwcs.k12.va.us/apps/embed/?v=382248" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Change dimensions

Parents are important for ensuring safe teen drivers

Show Transcript

welcome to this presentation of partners for safety and driving parents you are here because not only do you hold the key to the car you are the key to keeping your team safe the research clearly indicates that parents have the greatest influence on teen behaviors parents you must set clear expectations of driver safety for your family as driver Educators we want to partner with you to lay the foundation for safe driving behaviors for your team and provide the Essential Knowledge and Skills needed for good decision-making as parents you must also build a sound structure of rules and consequences that will discourage your teen from making unsafe choices teens it's up to you to build trust and make sound choices Virginia gives parents a key role in teaching contains the drive giving permission for the team to get his or her learner's permit withholding driving privileges until they feel their team is ready and or mature enough to drive in forcing graduated Licensing Laws and suspending driving privileges if the teen is not being responsible during this presentation we'll address each of those topics when the kids are young you look for the best daycare you look for the best car seat and all of a sudden your kid is old enough to drive parents should hope their kids beat the best drivers I can be helped them become functional safe competent without dying first the leading cause of death among adolescents is motor vehicle crashes it's a misconception that things that teens don't understand the risks of driving they do with the challenges with team means is that when they're in the moment they might make the wrong decision play a key role in preventing teen crashes when asked whose opinions they listen to teens most often said their parents safe driving is really about judgment we know that it's not till they're about 25 that the prefrontal cortex the CEO of the brain is completely developed and a lot of the things that aren't developed are the risk management decision making and types of things that they need to be a safe driver the number 1 crash risk for teens is inexperienced they need to practice with the parents so that the parent can pass on their knowledge and experience the more hours the better and in a variety of conditions on a winter day there's parking lots all over the place work on skid controls that way when the situation does arise they're ready to go we see that there are 2 big things that are affecting teens number 1 it's an experience and number 2 it's distraction distractions now what might be some common distractions eating drinking texting anything that has to do with not looking on the road they don't understand the challenges of distraction and I think parents can help by just setting rules set and place the expectation that driving is a privilege that you earn and you earn it by showing maturity showing good skill and graduated driver licensing which is the law that's in Most states allows parents to build on that the first stage is the learner's permit where the team is driving with adult supervision the second stage is where a team can drive by themselves but they have certain restrictions such is not being allowed to drive with other team passengers in the car or driving at night and the third stage is full lensure we suggest that before teens get their independent license that the teen and the parent negotiate the driving privileges team will have for a period of time the parent who is an authoritative parent who actually sets rules make sure the teen follows it you work on that together those teens are half as likely to crash while learning driving skills is very important driving skills alone do not re reduce risky behaviors risky behaviors are bad decisions that have little to do with driving skill study after study has shown that parent involvement reduces risky behaviors in teen driving crashes so we hope that what you learn tonight will open up a deeper dialogue with your teens about choices and that you will closely Monitor and continuously guide your teens driving behavior for the first topic we will discuss teen driving risks and the teenage brain what is safe driving is it skill is it good decision-making is it take free driving parents and teens have different definitions of good drive parents believe a good driver is a safe driver they believe a safe driver maintains adequate safe following distance obeys the speed limit and behaves like a responsible adult teens believe they are a good driver if for example they can take a curve at a higher rate of speed and not crash researchers believe this different perception of safe driving is due to the fact that the part of the teenage brain that understands risk is not fully developed motor vehicle crashes can happen to anyone even good teens crash that's because all new drivers lack experience and are more likely to crash throughout this presentation we will be addressing these teen driving risks in more detail routines handle nighttime driving teens get very little exposure to driving at night with their parents and they are also notoriously sleep-deprived how does the type of vehicle affect the teen driver's Behavior if you are planning on giving your teen a shiny red sports car that may not be the best choice for your child your child is much less likely to race in the family van how does the teenage brain handle a lack of Parental Guidance the science is very clear parents matter and good parenting can significantly used teen crashes and prevent a tragedy how does an immature brain handle alcohol marijuana and Other Drugs the teenage brain has difficulty understanding consequences and risks fortunately teams may not think twice about driving while impaired raise your hand if you believe this statement is true the brain does not mature until about age 25 that is true the brain is about 80% developed in adolescence the largest part of the brain the cortex is divided into lobes that mature from Back to Front the last section to connect is the frontal lobe responsible for cognitive processes such as reasoning planning and judgment normally this mental merger is not completed until age 25 the team teenage brain is not an adult brain with fewer miles on it teens have very sharp brains but they are not quite sure what to do with them the teen brain has a tendency to underestimate dangerous situations and is attracted to Thrill sinking and other experiences that create intense feelings This Is Why teens often speed weave in and out of traffic follow too closely talk on their cell phones or drive while fatigued or intoxicated consequently parents must step in and serve as their teens frontal lobes as the teenage brain has difficulty making risk management decisions on its own cars Do Not Crash people crash them the driver especially the young driver continues to be a weak Link in Automotive Safety it's interesting to note that the crash data shows older teenagers with more driving time have more crashes the higher crash rate for older teens is attributed to their having more driving privileges fewer restrictions and s parental supervision this higher crash rate prompted the general assembly to revise the juvenile passenger restrictions for older teens most teen crashes are caused by a lack of experience and attitude not poor driving skill and teens who take more risks are setting themselves up to crash regardless of their driving skills teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not be able to recognize dangerous situations according to the Center for Disease Control there are also more likely than adults to make critical decision errors that can lead to Serious crashes positive and negative attitudes evolved over time they can be changed through experience and persuasion and parents have the most influence over their teens attitudes we do not want this to happen to any child in this room that's why we're here today she just loved people she made friends easy and she had a lot of friends Brandon was a good student she loved to learn she was looking forward to going to college and I never will forget when uh she had been looking she had been watching the male clothes for her acceptance without a to see if she got into JMU and um she went to the mailbox that day and she came on back she come through that door and she said yes yes yes and she opened up the envelope you know and she looked and she read it she and I can see her now she just yes yes yes she said it was a beautiful January day the sky was so pretty and blue and the sun was bright and it was just a lovely day and that particular day she didn't have to be to school till 11:00 she sit there and she ate a bowl of cereal and she changed clothes 3 times before she left when she got in a truck she put a seat belt on when she said in a vehicle if she was going to drive or if she was riding she always put a seat belt on and uh anyway that morning the police scan was on and I just in the back of my mind I heard them say that they had been a bad accident I wrote 1:30 and uh I get on down there and and uh this is a fireman in the road you know directing traffic and I can see a truck and I could see the bumper and I saw the sticker and I knew it was our truck so I I pulled over to the side of the road and I asked that phone I said a little girl driving that truck I said is she hurt bad he said are you kidding to him I said yes I'm her mother and but that to rescue squad workers 1 get 1 sad to me and 1 guy on the other side and I said that the little girl driving that truck I said she heard bad and the woman said yes ma'am I said is she dead she said yes ma'am be proactive we should not change because of a tragedy parents should establish preventative measures that will prevent a tragedy from occurring parents to keep your teen safe you must be proactive and communicate that you are in control their lives depend on it and teens you will learn if you haven't already that trust is something that is earned and through responsible actions and decisions can be sustained what kind of role model are you a study by Liberty Mutual and sad found that parents are setting a poor example for teens by engaging in unsafe driving behaviors such as texting and driving and are not listening to their teens warnings 41% of teens say their parents continue these unsafe behaviors even after their teens asked them to stop and 28% of teens say their parents justify unsafe Behavior if you make the choice to speed or talk on the phone remember your student is watching and learning being an experienced driver does not excuse bad habits parents choices help kids form opinions on acceptable and unacceptable Behavior we also know from Research into underage drinking and driving that parents who exhibit DUI Behavior May promote youth drinking and DUI behaviors parental permissiveness is consistently associated with negative drinking consequences at youth transition to college or adulthood parents should always model safe driving behaviors as teens learn from the choices that adults make let's talk now about getting a learner's permit and teach your team to drive for a teen to obtain a learner's permit in Virginia the teen must have parent permission be at least 15 years and 6 months old provide proof of identity residency and legal presence which means be a US citizen or legally authorized to be in the US and pass a sign and Knowledge Test during the learner's permit phase you should not have to add your child to your your family's automobile insurance policy although it's always a good idea to check with your insurance company unfortunately 50% of the teens who take the learner's permit test do not pass it on their first attempt if your team fails the learner's permit test 3 times your team must provide DMV with evidence that they have completed a classroom driver education course after the third failure or have taken the 8-hour re-examination course before they will be able to take the learner permit test a fourth time teens should be encouraged to take the learner's permit test prior to completing classroom driver education if your teen passes a classroom driver education course after failing the learner's permit test 3 times your team can take the permit test for the fourth time hopefully your team will study and pass the test on the first attempt so now your team has their learner's permit and is ready to get behind the wheel and parents are you ready you will need to certify that your child has driven at least 45 hours with 15 of those hours being after Sunset before your teen can get their license practice driving should be more than just accumulating time to satisfy the requirements of the law practice driving should include meaningful planned guided practice sessions that include all driving skills and envir environments teens do not easily adapt to new driving situations they need a parent Mentor who follows the lessons in the 45-hour guide so that the new driver learns to navigate New Territory safely practices safe driving skills correctly most parents are not trained to be driver Educators but they need to know how to gradually and safely expose their student to a variety of driving situations to learn skills and identify and correct driving errors the 45 our parent teen driving guide provides suggested lessons that are sequential meaningful learning goals and strategies and coaching tips these lessons progress from low to higher risk driving environments from a parking lot to Neighborhood roads to light traffic to row highways to expressways and then to City driving using the parent teen driving guide parents can plan driving lessons and practice often to hopefully accumulate more than 45 hours of guided practice over the 9-month period that your teen must hold a learner's permit parent should complete the driving log at the end of each practice session let's go through some things that will help you teach your team to drive first plan for this to be an enjoyable time together this is a great bonding opportunity focus on the driving task and leave family issues at home don't wait until you have an emergency to learn how to control the vehicle from the passenger seat in the parking lot with your teen in the driver's seat practice steer and controlling the car with your left hand from the passenger seat you can also control the speed of the vehicle from the passenger seat if you have a car with a parking brake between the seats practice stopping the car by depressing the release button and raising the parking brake if your student panics and accelerates too much practice Shifting the transmission from drive to neutral from the passenger seat parents you should monitor traffic behind the vehicle by adjusting the passenger side view mirror or use the mirror on the sun visor as a rear view mirror check mirrors and the space to the sides and ahead of the vehicle before giving directions keep instructions simple and concise First Direct where to go and then State the action to take for example at the next intersection turn right while your team is performing a maneuver your feedback should be precise and immediate if a mistake is made repeat the maneuver take your teen step by step through the process and then provide opportunities for additional practice without any assistance can you explain the critical element of a right turn if not you can review these critical elements in the 45 our team guide with your team in advance about how you plan to communicate during the practice sessions in courage commentary driving this is the most valuable tool you have for checking how your team is processing the driving environment ask your team to read the traffic picture out loud describing anything that may affect your path of travel for example when your teen changes speed they may say red light check mirror release foot off the accelerator and begin breaking actually you should hear a check mirror and ease off accelerator a lot reinforce that a green light means search the intersection before proceeding and to be on the lookout for drivers running a red light encourage your team not to panic when approached by an emergency vehicle and to focus on looking for a safe area to pull over discuss the rules for passing a stopped school bus with flashing lights encourage your team to plan their route to avoid making a difficult left turn teach them to look at the car's tires in contact with the road not if the body of the car to calculate Gap in traffic and the speed of the approaching traffic there is a lot to learn in each lesson in the 45 our guide so allow adequate time for your team to attain Mastery at each level before moving on to the next lesson if possible try to integrate night driving into each area of instruction talk to your teen about what they should do before they even start the car let's start with seat belts in a quick test please raise your hand if you think this statement is true everyone sitting in the front seat must wear a seat belt this is true Virginia law requires everyone in the front seat to wear a seat belt and anyone less than 18 years of age must wear a seat belt regardless of where they are sitting in the vehicle where bring a seat belt is the simplest and most effective way to prevent car crashes injuries and deaths unfortunately teen drivers and teen passengers use safety belts less than any other age group safety belts keep you in the car and prevent you from hitting objects and passengers inside the vehicle if there's a crash parents should require safety belt use at all times buckling up is an easy way to prevent injuries and deaths this simple tasks can reduce your teen's risk of dying or being badly injured in a crash by about half parents play a critical role in whether or not their children wear seat belts parents should not only model wearing a seat belt they should enforce a strict family seat belt Rule and have zero tolerance for non-usage wearing a seat belt becomes a habit over a short period of time and buckling up is a very good habit to have would you allow an unbuckled elephant to sit in your back seat in a crash at 30 mph an adult back seat passenger without a seat belt is thrown forward with a force of 3 and 1/2 tons the weight of an elephant charging straight through the drive you're never safe in the back until you fasten your seat belt never forget another thing you should review with your team before they start the car is the mirror adjustments the blind spot glare elimination mirror setting also known as vge is now recommended the BGE mirror setting reduces the blind spot zones around your car and the glare of the headlights from the vehicle behind you when you use the BGE mirror setting you will see more of the lane next to your car and not the side of your vehicle this allows you to monitor vehicles in the adjacent Lanes if you use the BGE mirror setting do you still need to do a head check Yes you need to make a quick check over your shoulder in the area just outside of your peripheral vision you know the old adage you have to look before you leave the same is true for driving you have to be able to see where you're going in order to get there safely today I'm going to show you the proper way to adjust your rear and side view mirrors it seems easy enough you adjust your mirror so that you can see behind you and everything's great but I'm going to show you a technique so that you can see into those blind spots coming up from the rear and beside your car now the proper way to adjust your driver side mirror is to lean your head all the way over and see just about touch the glass like this then adjust your mirror until you see just beyond your car just that little sliver yeah you shouldn't see that you're going to adjust just beyond that that's going to allow you to see just beyond the blind 5 spot on the driver's side of the car if you don't need to see your car but you do need to see the lane next to you and see the car that's in it now for the passenger side mirror you want to lean over towards the center of the car as far as you can and then adjust your here again so that you see just beyond the side of your car this will allow you to see into the 3/4 view blind spot on your passenger side now for the rear view mirror that's simple most people do this right obviously for this 1 you just want to adjust the mirror so that you can see right behind you say you're in that car there and you want to be in this Lane what would you do check your side view mirror you don't see a car there so you pull on in but suddenly boom there's a hi there now if your mirror had been properly adjusted this is what you would have seen take a moment to adjust your mirrors properly a well-adjusted mirror could save your life I'm Travis Tucker reminding you to buckle up adjust your mirrors and drive safe once you and your teen have your seat belts on and have adjusted the mirrors you are ready to start driving let's go over some additional information about driving please raise your hand if you believe this statement is true the safest position to place your hand on the steering wheel for most driving situations is 10:00 and 2:00 false placing your hands on the lower half of the steering at 8 and4 is the safest hand position for most driving situations steering is 1 of the most important and fun things about driving because it puts you in control of the car proper hand placement can ensure efficiency and enhance safety when driving today we'll learn the proper way to hold a steering wheel and we'll press the Push Pull and slide method for steering steering may seem simple but there are many misconceptions about where to put your hands hand placement could prevent a crash or Serious injury think of the steering wheel like a clock with 12 at the top most people think that you should put your hands at 10 and 2 the 10 to 2 hand placement is not ideal because the arms can become tired and it creates unnecessary movement it also forces the driver to cross their arms when turning in the event of a crash and airbag deployment this could cause serious injury to replace the put your hands is actually at 8 and 4 putting your hands in this position is not only more efficient but it's also safer once our hands are in this position we can use the Push Pull and slide method for turning using the push pull slide method use 1 hand to push the steering wheel the other to pull and then slide your hands to return to the 8 and 4 position this will prevent your arms from Crossing and slamming into your face in case of a crash these steering techniques that we've reviewed may seem simple but they're vital to the safe operation of your vehicle by merely changing in your hand placement you could prevent a crash or a serious injury do your part to keep yourself and the roadway safe everyone please sit up and assume a driving position with your hands holding the top of the steering wheel at 10:00 and 2:00 keep holding this position and Nod your heads if you think your arms and shoulders will become fatigued now move your hands from 10:00 and 2:00 down to the 8:00 and 4:00 position this more relaxed position reduces muscle tension and unnecessary will movement caused by the weight of the arms placing your hands at the 8 and 4 position also takes your arms out of the path of the airbag reducing hand arm and face injuries if the airbag deploys you should always wear your seat belt and sit at least 10 inches from the airbag if you can adjust the angle of the steering wheel make sure the airbag is pointed at your chest and not at your face holding the steering wheel at the bottom also reduces the tendency to move the steering wheel too much which may result in loss of control or running off the road running off the road is very hazardous especially to novice drivers most run off the road crashes are caused by driver error these include overcompensation such as not using the 8 and 4 hand position poor directional control meaning not looking where you want the vehicle to go driving to fast for Curves because inertia will pull the vehicle in a straight line too fast for conditions such as bad weather incorrect Evasion for things like animals or other obstacles in the path of the travel distractions inside and out of the vehicle and driving while drowsy rumble strips alert the driver when they are running off the road practice riding on the rumble strip to desensitize your team to overcome panicking and or overreacting with practice safe off-road recovery is not a difficult skill to learn 1 of the frequent causes behind fatal car accidents among seasoned and novice driver is it like that is veering off the road and then overcorrecting to try to return back to the road let me demonstrate the natural reaction when you Veer off the road is to yank on the steering wheel to get back on the road and slam on the brakes however this can cause the car to roll over or Veer sharply into oncoming traffic or some other obstacle the results can be deadly everyone needs to be prepared for this situation and new driver should practice how to control the car if the car goes off the roadway parents should first stress to their new drivers the dangerous consequences of not paying full attention to the job of driving driving requires full attention every second talking on the phone fiddling with the radio talking to passengers reaching for a drink or a multitude of other distractions can cause a driver to Veer off the road happen in an instant stay focused and alert while driving however if this happens with practice the proper off-road recovery can be learned parents should consider practicing and demonstrating their skill before asking their teenager to do it maybe this is something that they've never done before they could benefit from this as well first it's important for a parent to find a straight section of roadway with no traffic and a gravel dirt or grass shoulder that's even with the road surface where you can practice don't is this skill on a road that drops off at the edge or as potholes or obstacles on the shoulder under these circumstances the novice driver could easily lose control and do serious damage to your vehicle even at slow speeds dirt or loose gravel can reduce traction causing the vehicle to slide or skid so once you have found a place to practice safely proceed at a very slow speed first as the driver steer slightly right the front right tire will leave the roadway and the rear right Tyre will quickly follow the driver must take his or her foot off the accelerator pedal and not break or brake very gently the vehicle must stay parallel to the paved portion of the road if the circumstances permit the novice driver should drive on the shoulder or on the dirt or Rumble strip for a period of time to get the feel of the vehicle in this situation in a real situation the car May kick up rocks and other debris then the driver should check traffic and ease back onto the road at a low speed the main thing to remember is not to panic knowing how to react to a situation before it happens is your best defense I'm Travis Tucker reminding you to pay attention and drive safely your vehicle is controlled by the 4 small patches of Tire in contact with the ground which is about the size of a dollar bill the word traction refers in General to your car's ability to maintain adhesive friction between the vehicle specifically your tires and the pavement vehicle control and performance is affected by the traction between the tire patches and the road surface without traction you have no control an important factor affecting the potential for the car to Skid is the surface of the roadway is it asphalt or concrete rough or smooth think of sandpaper it has different grades of roughness the coarser the Sandpaper the more friction it presents to the surface being sanded road conditions are not the same thing as Road surface different road conditions present varying friction opportunities to the tires A Chorus Rodeway Inn the rain will hold less firmly than that same Highway that is bone dry likewise snow-covered pavement will present even fewer friction possibilities to the tires think about the speed and direction of the vehicle the faster you go the more more energy the vehicle must dissipate before it comes to a stop and if the road is heading east and your car is going north you have a problem parents if you do not want your teens to crash them how to manage space especially this space located in the front of the vehicle this is the easiest and most important space that a driver can control if you have adequate space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front you can break or sear out of trouble and avoid a crash the chart provides the recommended following distance in seconds on dry surfaces for various speeds let's address the provisional license and graduate licensing requirements when your team has held his or her learner's permit for 9 months has completed at least 45 hours of driving with a parent or Guardian guidance is 16 years and 3 months old and successfully completed classroom driver education and behind the wheel in-car course with the road test then your team is ready to earn their provisionals driver's license to obtain a driver's license in Virginia for anyone under 18 your student must be at least 16 years and 3 months old practice driving with a learner's permit for at least 9 months complete 45 hours of guided practice with a parent or Guardian and successfully complete a state approved classroom and behind the wheel in-car driver education program driving is the number 1 health risk for teens and that's why most classroom driver education courses are offered as part of the 10th grade health education classroom driver education is a comprehensive course that covers a variety of traffic safety and driver related information such as the basic rules of the road licensing procedures vehicle Dynamics management of time and space sharing the roadway motorcycles and tractor trailers purchasing and ensuring a vehicle reading a map using GPS the dangers of alcohol and other drugs and driving texting and driving and drowsy while driving upon successful completion of classroom driver education course your child will receive a classroom driver education certificate of completion also referred to as d e c District 8 pink card your child needs the pink card to be eligible to take in car instruction in car instruction is available before or after school during the school year and offered during the summer at your student School once teens have their permit and have dated classroom drive or education they can register for a behind-the-wheel program in behind the wheel your student will drive for 7 periods and observe for 7 periods and take a road test at the end of their course for a total of 14 periods of instruction if your team has held a permit for 9 months passes the road test and meets all the other juvenile licensing requirements including the 45 hour driving log requirement that in the car teacher will issue your student a 6-month provisional driver's license when it comes to education and safety a good driver education program might be among the most vital decision a parent can make fortunately finding a good driver's education program is easy provided you know what to look for it's a lot easier to let your teen behind the wheel if you know they've learned the valuable skills from a good driver education teacher and experienced 45 hours or more of driving with a parent or Guardian guided practice it is good to remember that parents are responsible for consenting to lensure parents must sign the DM MV Learners permit application the parent permission form to take driver education the 45 hour driving log and the students 6-month temporary driver's license once your student driver has successfully completed classroom and in car instruction and have met all the licensing requirement with parent permission the in-car teacher can issue a 6-month temporary provisional driver's license to your student driver the B behind the wheel driving school will give a copy of your students 6-month license to you and send another copy to DMV DMV will process the 6-month license and send a license valid for 8 years for your student to the Juvenile and domestic relations court that serves your family's zip code consequently it is very important that DMV has the correct address to send the hard copy to the court and the court has the correct address to notify you when you attend the parent and teen judicial licensing ceremony within 6 months of earning the temporary driver's license the student will receive an invitation in the mail to attend a juvenile license ceremony to obtain the permanent hard copy of the license the juvenile licensing ceremony is an opportunity for the Juvenile and domestic Relations Court judges to interact with teenagers in a positive setting each judge brings his or her Unique Style to the licensing ceremony the ceremonies can vary depending on the needs of the jurisdiction the ceremonies are held as frequently as once a week to his infrequently as once every 2 months depending on the needs of the locality generally teens and their parents are required to dress in a manner that is appropriate to appearing in court and to be on time insistence on appropriate attire and decorum add to the seriousness of the responsibility the team is being given the judge usually gives license to the parent not the minor as the parent will be held accountable for their child's Behavior behind the wheel once your teen has their license can they just hop in the car and drive no they have a provisional driver's license Virginia has graduated licensing law for those under 18 Virginia law allows a driver under 18 years old with a provisional license to have no more than 1 non-family passenger under the age of 21 in the car until they have held their license for 1 year please remember that even 1 passenger is a distraction and there is a direct correlation between the number of passengers and crash probability we are hoping that your family's role is no passengers true or false Virginia law allows 3 non-family teenage passengers to ride in a car driven by a driver who has just turned 17 years old that is false your student must be at least 17 years and 3 months old to have more than 1 passenger and have had their license for a full year after the first year of driving Virginia law allows the young driver to have 3 non-family passengers less than 21 years of age under the following circumstances when driving to and from a school activity when a licensed driver 21 years or older is in the front passenger seat and in cases of an emergency that's Virginia's passenger law but it may not be best practice we hope that you will consider adopting a no passenger rule for your family why are there passenger restrictions we are all highly influenced by our peers everyone wants to feel like they are accepted and a part of a group peer opinions and relationships are highly valued by teens and may influence your students decision-making and a positive or negative way for example if members of your teen's peer group were seat belts they probably will all wear their seat if their peer group is in a street racing your child may also be at risk and engage in this Behavior for the new Teenage driver good driving habits are gained by experience practice and following State graduated Licensing Laws speeding driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs not wearing seat belts and texting while driving are all extremely dangerous and against the law but there's another distraction that is very dangerous and not as well known teen passengers research reveals that the number of passengers in a car greatly increases the chances of a crash in fact a recent AAA study revealed that 1 passenger in a car increases the risk of death by 44% add 1 more passenger and that risk doubles add another and that quadruples these are alarming rates and not familiar to many parents Virginia's graduated driver Licensing Laws limits the number of passengers that a teen driver can carry during his or her first year of independent driving parents enforce this law encourage your team to abide by Passenger restriction laws and make them understand that driving with additional team passengers puts them at an increased risk of being in a fatal crash is it worth the risk compared to driving with no passengers a 16 or 17 year olds drivers risk of death per mile driven increases 44% when carrying 1 passenger younger than 21 doubles when carrying 2 passengers younger than 21 quadruples when carrying 3 or more passengers younger than 21 and decreases 62% when a passenger aged 35 or older is in the vehicle the good news is parents can keep their teen safe by instituting a no passenger policy for their teen drivers please raise your hand if you think this statement is true in Virginia the curfew for drivers under the age of 18 is from Midnight until 4:00 a.m. that is true under most circumstances Virginia law does not allow drivers under the age of 18 with a learner's permit or driver's license to drive from Midnight to 4:00 a.m. in fact statistics show that it is very dangerous for teenagers to drive after 7:00 p.m. curfew laws can vary by counties and states for example it is unlawful in Prince William County for anyone's 17 years of age or less to be or remain in any public Place between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 11:59 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday although there are exceptions for drivers of all ages fatal crashes are more likely to occur at night but the risk is highest for teens low visibility and fatigue contribute to these crashes parents need to make sure their child receive adequate guidance practice in these low visibility driving environments parents also need to closely monitor after-school and weekend activities and place restrictions on driving at night let's talk about a few other things parents and teens should consider as teens began gaining experience driving raise your hand if you slept at least 8 hours last night did you know that teens need about 9 hours of sleep per night but on average only get about 7 Young drivers are at highest risk for drowsy driving which causes thousands of crashes every year teens are most tired and at risk when driving in the early morning or late at night be sure your student is fully rested be forgetting behind the wheel teen drivers only comprise 14% of all drivers but are involved in 50% of crashes caused by drowsy driving drowsiness makes drivers less attentive slows reaction time and affects the driver's ability to make decisions driving while fatigued has been compared to driving while intoxicated being awake for 18 hours causes the brain to function at the same level as a brain that is legally intoxicated unfortunately teens have schedules that cause them to be sleep deprived to put it in perspective a typical high school student gets up for school at 6:00 a.m. close to school and attends after school activities comes home eats dinner heads to a friend's house at 9:00 p.m. and then drives home at midnight this student has been up for 18 hours and if the student dries the student is an impaired driver distracted driving is a major contributor to accidents anything that takes your attention off the task of driving is a distraction if you are a distract the driver your crash risk will increase 4 to 9 times more than a non-destructive driver students in the next 10 seconds list 5 driving distractions did you include swatting out a fly changing the radio talking to passengers raise your hand if you think this statement is true teen drivers under 18 may use a self phone but cannot text message while driving a vehicle that is false it is now illegal for anyone to hold a cell phone or text while driving in Virginia if you are under you may not even use a hands-free wireless device if 18 driver violates Virginia's cell phone law they will be assessed 3 demaret points and pay a fine a second conviction will result in Court suspension of the teens driving privileges for 6 months in addition drivers under age 20 who receive a demerit Point conviction are required to attend a driver improvement clinic and cannot take an online driver improvement course it's 125 for the first offense and $50 for repeat offenses for cell phone violations thumbs up if you think a team driver's cell phone violation will affect your family's car insurance text messaging has increased the risk of crash or near crash by 2 times and results in drivers taking their eyes off the road for an average of 23 seconds total activities performed when completing a phone call such as reaching for a phone looking up a contact and dialing the number increase crash risk by 3 times can you talk on the phone and write an email at the same time not well because your brain will divide attention between the tasks focusing on 1 tasks and then the other if you think you're good at doing several things at once think again multitasking is a myth your brain can't do it when you switch from 1 task to another you are actually dividing your attention between multiple tasks you can't simultaneously talk on the phone and type A coherent email parents please have a zero tolerance policy on texting and driving tell your 13 to turn off their phone while driving or check out the do not disturb feature on the phone did you know that the most frequent comment drivers make immediately after a crash is I didn't see you the reason they didn't see you is they were probably driving while distracted in a CDC youth risk behavior survey 39% of teen surveyed admitted they texted while driving and texting while driving unfortunately increases with age this is a truly frightening statistic for all drivers as a parent this may be the most important family rule you enforce parents will influence on teen cell phone behaviors is stronger and longer lasting than all other influences and teens learn from watching adults so parents please encourage safe driving behaviors by modeling them my name is Grant Hendrix I'm a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol I'm side of our iOS accident Mariah's vehicle traveled across this median and ended in uh striking the bridge that you can see behind me when I got to the scene her face was disfigured from sliding down the roadway it's funny the the first thing I noticed about her was her shoes lying in the roadway and a in a large pool of blood I noticed her shoes and I thought this is a young girl but that's the first thing I thought when I saw this and at that point is when I noticed her cap and gown was still in her car she was going to graduate the next day it was just a really horrific scene all because of a senseless text message It's just sad sorry it's just sad Ashley wood text hundreds of messages every day that was the way we kept in touch we would definitely text more than we talked Mariah was a multitasker extraordinaire she could text better than anyone I know she could be having 1 conversation with me completely focused while having a text conversation with somebody else be at school at home movies bowling driving not even looking at her phone it didn't matter where we were we were constantly texting she was looking at my message that I had just sent her when she looked up she had clipped the median on the left hand side of the road her truck flipped and as it was flipping she was actually ejected through the driver's side door and she landed in the ditch about 300 feet from her truck people will tell you over and over again it's not your fault but knowing that you are the person that she was talking to when she was killed just know me having a highway patrol officer write in a report that a text message sent at 12:05 is the reason that she is dead it's not something that will ever go away if I get talked to her 1 last time I would just say I'm sorry this is her cell phone that she used the accident 4 little letters that's what killed her she paid the ultimate price for her actions I've had to do this more than once Mariah is not the only the only victim that I've dealt with and it never gets any easier and it won't get any easier what is worth losing your life over that text message parents you should be concerned about underage drinking the Research indicates alcohol damages young developing brain cells and the Teen brain is more susceptible than their adult counterparts to alcohol-induced toxicity an experiment in which rat brain cells were exposed to Al alcohol showed alcohol blocked certain synaptic activity when the alcohol was removed the adult cells recovered while the Adolescent cells remained disabled please raise your hand if you believe this statement is true a friend who has only 1 drink is a safe choice for a designated driver alcohol used slows reaction time and impairs judgment and coordination which are all skills needed to drive with cars safely the more alcohol consumed the greater the impairment legal limits do not Define the level below which it is safe to operate a vehicle or engage in some other activity impairment due to alcohol use begins to occur at levels well below the legal limit in Virginia the legal limit for young people under 21 is a blood alcohol content of 02 this is the average blood alcohol level that occurs normally in a body so the legal drinking limit for drivers under the age of 21 in Virginia is zero drinks it is not just the driver who is at risk from drinking and this National survey 1 in 4 high school students reported having ridden in a car in the last month that was driven by someone who had been drinking so if you are riding with a driver who has been drinking or doing drugs you are putting your life in grave Danger these survey results are a reminder that parents need to always know who your teens are with establish a relationship with your children so that in the event your team has to choose between rotting with an impaired driver and calling home for a ride they will choose to call you it is also imperative that parents uphold their end of the bargain and recognizing compliment teens when they use good judgment and make mature decisions it is against the law in Virginia for teens to drink alcohol teens alcohol and drugs are illegal slow your action time and distort reality paradoxically while impairing you alcohol May make you think you're an awesome driver avoid this bad combination don't drink and drive parents do you know where these teens are getting the alcohol well in addition to friends and older siblings studies show that parents in the community are the primary suppliers of alcohol to underage youth please think carefully about the potential consequences to your teens and to you and have necessary conversations about expectations with other parents and community Studies have shown that adult supervised settings for alcohol use intended to minimize harm actually result in higher levels of harmful alcohol consequences for young people states have zero tolerance laws for underage drinking and these laws cut down on drinking and driving and protect the young developing brain if your teen makes the mistake and attends a party where there is alcohol the judge will impose a 500 fine or community service and suspend your child's license or the ability to get a license for 1 year this suspension will also have an impact on your family's car insurance additional violation of underage drinking and driving loss can result in more substantial Financial penalties jail time probation and counseling requirements as well as impact College admissions scholarships financial aid and employment opport opportunities driving after taking certain medications marijuana and all illegal drugs is risky and can cause traffic crashes injuries and fatalities similar to driving after consuming alcohol drivers cannot judge their own level of impairment after smoking marijuana or taking other illegal drugs so any amount of consumption puts them and others at risk also similar to driving under the influence of alcohol those who drive high on drugs could get a DUI Law Enforcement Officers across Virginia are specifically trained to recognize drug drivers according to a recent roadside study by the National Highway traffic Administration 1 in 4 drivers on America's roads tested positive for at least 1 drug that impacts safety it is a fact that parents are the key to good decision-making related did to drinking and driving research has shown that young people are less likely to drink when parents are involved in their lives and have close relationships with them adolescence are less likely to have out alcohol-related problems when their parents set clear rules and expectations about drinking have good parent child communication and discipline consistently parents drinking Behavior in favorable attitudes about not drinking and not using drugs influence adolescence to abstain and parents who exhibit DUI Behavior promote you DUI behaviors furthermore Perrin permissiveness is positively and consistently associated with negative drinking consequences as you transition to college or adulthood have the conversation with your teen about drinking and drugged driving talk with teens it's essential to afford them the resources and skills to make good decisions about drinking and driving MADD will send you a list of conversation starters so you can talk with your team mad offers a sample dialogue in response to teens questions about parents adolescent drinking parents could say I did have a drink when I was younger however we did not know as much as we know now about the risk of alcohol if I had known then I would have done things differently this is why I am talking to you about it I want you to be safe healthy and happy speeding is another risk for team drivers why are more males killed in crashes because they tend to drive at higher speeds and take more risk and safety belt use is lower among males speed increases the distance of vehicle travels from the time a driver detects an emergency to the time the driver reacts and it also increases the distance needed to stop a vehicle once the driver starts to break speed increases crashed energy exponentially and there are limits to the amount of Crash energy that can be managed by Vehicles restraint systems and roadway protections such as barriers and crash cushions the higher the speed the greater the likelihood these limits will be seated in crashes limiting the protection available for vehicle occupants higher speed limits are associated with an increased likelihood of death and incapacitating injuries increasing his speed limit from 55 to 65 miles per hour results in about a 3% increase in the total number of crashes and a 24% increase in the likelihood that a vehicle occupant will be fatally injured you have a thumbs up if you believe the statement is true or thumbs down if you believe the statement is false the family car is the safest car for your teen to drive this is true the family car is by far the safest car parents who have a car waiting in the driveway for their new driver should be mindful that the research shows that their child will be more likely to be in a crash by having a family car the team will have to ask to borrow it this provides the parents with the opportunity to review family Rules and restrictions and control access to the vehicle which will make their team driver much safer law enforcement plays a critical role in traffic safety when traffic safety laws are actively enforced our roads are safer if you're stopped by a police officer remain calm move your vehicle out of the flow of traffic onto the right shoulder of the roadway and position your vehicle as far away from traffic as possible turn on your flashers and turn off your engine lower your window keep your safety belt on and your hands and plain view on the steering wheel do not get out of the car unless directed to do so by the officer passengers should also remain in their seats with their safety belts fastened answer all the officer's questions calmly and clearly and follow all directions and instructions there are about 2,000 Troopers in Virginia and they all have 1 thing in common they all have been struck or nearly struck by passing motorist while performing their duties on Virginia's highways so if you see an emergency vehicle stopped on the shoulder of the highway the law requires you to change lanes away from the stopped emergency vehicle and if you can't change lanes you must slow down and pass with caution it is not just a good idea it's the law let's review the role of parents please raise your hand if you believe the statement is true peers have the greatest influence on teen driving behavior years that is false 9 out of 10 teen drivers identified their parents as having the greatest influence on their driving behaviors the next most influential groups in order are law enforcement peers and driver education teachers although the general assembly allows your child to get a license at 16 years in 3 months of age the parents not the state are in the best position to determine whether 13 is ready to drive alone at that age when parents determine their children are ready to drive parents can help their children become a safe driver if they are a good role model do as I say not as I do who just doesn't work allowing your team to get a license does not mean your child no longer needs your supervision and guidance by placing restrictions on high risk driving such as driving at night or with passengers you will make your team much safer parents May suspend their child's driving privileges if their child is not demonstrating safe and responsible behaviors Virginia law puts parents in the driver's seat to monitor teen driving behaviors let's talk about a parenting driving contract parents you must establish family laws that place limits on when where and with whom your team may drive don't assume the state laws will keep your teens safe state laws represent the minimum restrictions placed on new drivers family laws on the other hand crafted by the parent the person who knows the teen the best will make the teen much much safer your family law should include protection such as no cell phones no text messaging no passengers no night driving and zero tolerance for tickets teens who have written contracts that outline family Rules and set limits on init driving privileges such as no driving at night and no passengers and have clear consequences for breaking the rules are much less likely to engage in risky driving half crashes or get a ticket throughout this program we have stressed the importance of parent involvement and teen driver safety parents and teens should have a written driving contract and agree upon rules and consequences driving limits where when the team can drive financial responsibilities how privileges can be increased and no drinking or drug driving the number 1 crash risk for teens is actually an experience they're very riskiest times the first 6 months of driving that's when the parent needs to really closely monitor what's happening it's important it's to let her know all the consequences and things that if she doesn't follow through she'll know what I expect from her she'll know what she's supposed to do what's wrong what's right it's really wonderful about driving is that it is a time when teens and parents have to work to the other on something and the parenting driver agreement is a document that can get parents and teams to begin a conversation about safe driving my mom has talked to me about the responsibilities of being a driver and have fallen the rules the parenting driver agreement has a basic outline of rules that the team should follow in order to keep them safe we encourage parents to limit the conditions under which teams can drive to new daytime or at least not very late and zero or 1 passenger or no inclement weather driving fairly basic things and it also lets the teen and the parent work together to set up the consequences let's talk about the consequences perfume violation yeah we have issues with that 1 what if it's 30 minutes no it's not up with discussion about that violation curfew you need to just respect that it's about progressively giving them privileges they show that they can handle a highway and many other situations that they're going to be facing the biggest fear is stage again being distracted while she's driving I just need her to be focused my biggest fears and worries worries are that I won't drive good enough or I'll get in a car accident my mom's expectations are they're just follow whatever she says follow the law and be the best driver key to report that their parents would be very upset with them if they engaged in risky driving behavior report much less risky driving behavior and a report fewer violations of the law if I do something I can't just talk her out of it cuz it's on paper if it wasn't on paper I could just lie and be like you never said that but since on paper I know she's going to go back a lot and look at it a microwave you received a template for contract when you arrived and 1 is available in the 45 our parent team driving guide and on the partners for safety and driving website at safety and driving.org we hope that you will continue this conversation and invest time completing the contract together there are some new laws as of July 1 2021 drivers must change lanes when passing a cyclist if the lane is not wide enough to allow at least 3 ft of distance between the driver and the cyclist marijuana is illegal for those aged 20 and younger it is all illegal to drive under the influence of Canada's and to have an on school grounds as a reminder for everyone it is illegal to hold a cell phone while driving thank you for attending this 90-minute parenting driving presentation parents we hope the information shared today will help you help your team become a safer driver