Teen Driving Safety Tips

National Teen Driver Safety Week is Oct. 20-26, 2019. This week, FLVS is encouraging parents to discuss the importance of driving safety with their teen drivers.

To help start conversations around safe driving, we’ve compiled the following tips. 

Don’t Drive Impaired

The United States Department of Transportation shared that 15 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal car accidents in 2017 had alcohol in their system. It is imperative to remind teens that driving is a complex task, and driving under the influence slows reaction time, affecting a driver’s ability to drive safely with possible life-changing consequences.

Fasten Seat Belts – Every Time

Parents should stress the importance of wearing a seat belt, every time, whether in the front or back seat.  It’s the easiest way for teens to stay safe, but according to the United States Department of Transportation, many teens aren’t buckling up. There were 539 passengers killed in passenger vehicles driven by teen drivers, and 60 percent of those passengers who died did not have their seat belts fastened at the time of the fatal crash.

Eyes on the Road

Teens need to be reminded about the dangers of texting and using a phone while driving. According to the Dori Slosberg Foundation, drivers are 23 times more likely to crash while texting. “It takes your eyes off the road on average of five seconds at a time. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field—completely blind.” In addition, headphones should not be used while driving as they keep a driver from hearing sirens and horns.

Obey Speed Limits

Teens need to be reminded to drive within the speed limit. Speeding is a serious concern for all drivers, especially teens. More than 27 percent of teen driver related fatal crashes involved speeding at the time of the crash. Males are more likely than females to be in fatal speeding-related crashes.

Today, more than 46,000 students take the Driver Education/Traffic Safety course annually through Florida Virtual School. View a few of the videos and highlights from the FLVS Driver’s Ed course to learn more about the course experience.

Ready to enroll? Visit our FLVS Driver Education / Traffic Safety page to learn more.