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Your Teendriving resolutions for spring

Teens:

Don't use your cell phone or text while driving.  Don't answer a call or a text message while driving. 

Always practice safe driving and obey the driving laws of your state or locality.

Buckle up for safety and make sure all passengers use their safety belts as well.

Don't drink and drive--or use drugs and drive or ride in the car with anyone whose is drinking or on drugs.

Be a courteous driver on the road

Encourage safe driving at your school and in your community

Let your parents know where you're going and when you'll be back.

Parents:

Set a good driving example for your teens by obeying the driving laws of your state or locality.

Don't use your cell phone or text while driving--set the example you want your teens to follow.

Spend 100 hours of in car training for teens learning to drive

Provide a safe car for teens to drive

Give your teen constructive critiques of their driving and keep your temper in check

Set realistic goals, expectations, and consequences for your new teen driver.

Teen Driving in the News:

12.27.12 Atlas Moving Company has done a informative infographic on distracted driving as driving laws.   Check it here.  Did you know that you are 23 times more likely to be in a CRASH if you are texting while driving? 

10.14.12 - 10.20.12 is national Teen Driver Safety Week.  Check out the video and programs at the NHTSA

08.02.12  We have arranged a 10% discount for Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Nevada state approved driver training.  Check out the deal on our training page.

05.10.12  Save a $1 with graduation gift discount on Driver's Ice Pac.  See note below and order via this link

03.23.12 New teen driving video from The USAA Educational Foundation--good tips on dealing with distractions and bad weather.  You can also order copies for your schools and teen organizations.

11.01.11  The recently launched AT&T DriveMode app is now available for Android™ customers (previously launched for BlackBerry®). This free mobile app is designed to curb texting behind the wheel as part of AT&T’s “Txtng & Drivng…It Can Wait” campaign.

Attorney and author Richard P. Hastings has develped a very detailed contract for teen drivers and their parents.  He's offered to share the contract free to teendriving.com visitors.  Read more about it and download the contract.

- AT&T has a campaign called Texting can wait about the dangers of texting while driving. They have a new documentary called the Last Text which features stories from individuals,and parents, whose lives have been altered by teens texting while driving.  Take a look--it could save your life.  http://www.att.com/txtngcanwait    You can take their pledge on on their facebook page:

AAA offers driving simulators in some states to help teens learn to be safe drivers. See press release

How do you hold the steering wheel?

Experts now recommend that you hold the steering wheel at either 3 and 9 o'clock (on the wheel) or even lower at 4 and 8 o'clock.  Why: If you are in a crash and the air bags go off--you'll be safer with your hands not flying into your face from the impact of the air bags. 

Other advantages include being able to turn without taking your hands off the wheel

Better able to control the car

Able to react faster to diving conditons and hazzards

Less fatigue

Here's a great video from AAA that shows you how to do it.

Driver's I.C.E. Pack

We've reviewed the new Driver's In Case of Emergency Pack and recommend that all teens have this in their car.  (Actually, it's great for any age drivers!)  The Pack gives critical instructions on how to handle emergencies as well as contact information. 

Special Offer!
The perfect gift for your graduate!
Teendriving.com is offering Driver’s I.C.E. Pack at the special price of $9.00/ea (regular teendriving.com price, $10.99); or for an even greater savings, $180 for a case pack of 24 (regular teendriving.com price, $199)! 
Stock up on your gifts before time runs out.  Use this link to get the discount.

We've heard from several schools that the they've selected the Driver's I.C.E. Pack as the gift for their graduating seniors--what a great idea! 

SCHOOLS – EQUIP YOUR JUNIORS, SENIORS, or GRADUATES WITH THE PERFECT GIFT
Check out special case pack pricing

We've recently had a chance to talk to the creator of the Driver's I.C.E Pack, Joyce Lopez. . Read Joyce's interview

Teaching your Teens to Drive--a free booklet from MetLife

  Connect with Kids, a website and community for parents, has release some great free video segments for teen drivers and their parents..  Check out Girls and Car Crashes , Text Messaging and Driving--a Bad Combination and Teens and Road Rage .

AAA released a study that teens are just as likely to have accidents in the after school times 3:00pm - 5:00pm Monday through Friday as their are on weekend evenings.  AAA suggests that parents monitor teen driving during these critical hours.  We have a lot of tips on this site--including our teen-parent contract to help teens be safer drivers.. 

A Johns Hopkins Study has found that the states with the toughest graduated licensing requirements have a 20% reduction in teen fatalities for 16 year old drivers. And states that have graduated licensing have an average of 11% less fatalities for 16 year old teens.  Recommendations include 30 hours of supervised driving, night time restrictions, and restrictions on passengers in the car.  Read the press release. 

According to a Virginia Tech and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study, distracted drivers accounted for 80% of the crashes in their study and 18-20 year olds were 4 times more likely to be involved in accidents.   Also, check our tips for avoiding distractions while driving.

Teendriving.com resolutions for 2013

See our other tips for driving in bad weather.

Parallel parking is one of the most searched on terms on our site.  Ryan has collected some new tips for those trying to learn how to parallel park.

Be careful when backing up to make sure cars are not trying to pass you (also take caution when passing cars that are parallel parking)

Practice with cones or large boxes

When parallel parking on the left side of a one way street (or behind a car doing the same), take extra care, as most people are unfamiliar with this process

If you are uncomfortable with your angle of approach, pull back out and start over; do not force it.

When parking, try and leave the car in front of you space to get out of the spot.

If riding with a passenger, it's not a bad idea to have them direct you as it is often difficult to tell how much room you have behind you to another car.

When parallel parking upwards on a hill, turn your front wheels to the left and apply the emergency brake.

When parallel parking downwards on a hill, turn your front wheels to the right and apply the emergency brake.

Sometimes it easier to look for a spot you can pull straight into then try and get your car into a small parallel spot.

Your foot should always be on or right near the brake pedal, the gas is not needed.

If you are behind a car that is signaling to parallel park, either pass right away or give them plenty of room to operate.

See more parallel parking tips

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