Intoxalock Advocates for Teen Driver Safety
With summer here, many teenagers have more free time on their hands to enjoy the warm weather and the company of their friends. It also means that more young drivers will be on the road. During this time it’s important for parents of teenage drivers to educate their children about safe driving practices.
Intoxalock CEO, Kimberly Williams, sat down with USA Today and Media Planet to discuss young driver safety earlier this month. You can read her interview with them here on the importance of teaching teenage drivers safe driving practices and what preventative measures parents can take to keep their children from drunk driving.
Driving Tips for Teens:
1) Always wear a seatbelt and make sure the other passengers in your car do too. Seatbelts have been proven to save lives. The United States Department of Transportation found that in “2016, the use of seatbelts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,668 lives of occupants ages 5 and older.”
On top of saving lives, seat belts are easy to use. And it’s been found that when one person in the car uses their seat belt, others are more likely to use theirs as well
2) Take breaks when driving long distances. “Drowsy driving is estimated to contribute to as many as 1.2 million collisions, resulting in potentially 5,000 to 8,000 fatalities per year,” (NHTSA). Utilize rest stops to get out and stretch your legs, rotate driving duties with other licensed drivers in the car and plan ahead for a place to stay the night at.
3) Remember to follow the speed limit. Wanting to get to your loved ones as quickly as possible is easy to understand, however, in 2016 speeding accounted for 27% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. Slow down and take the extra time to make it to your destination safely.
4) Avoid checking your phone and texting while driving. Distracted driving is deadly with 3,450 deaths due to distracted driving in 2016 alone. If you need to respond to someone, find a safe place to pull over before doing so.
5) Always drive sober. 29 people die every day in the United States from alcohol-impaired crashed. These crashes are preventable. Not only is death a risk you take by driving while impaired, you also take the chance of being caught and charged with a drunk driving conviction (DUI/DWI/OWI). It’s also important for drivers who are underage to know that there are zero tolerance laws that dictate that drivers under the age of 21 caught with any amount of alcohol in their system will be charged with a DUI.
Summers are a time for fun and adventure. Remember to make sure that you and your loved ones are being safe and responsible while making the most of your time together.
Prevent teen drunk driving with in-car breathalyzers:
Looking for more ways to take safe driving practices? Consider getting your teen a car breathalyzer. Car breathalyzers, also referred to as ignition interlock devices, work by connecting to the starter of the car and taking breath alcohol content samples before the vehicle can be started. This ensures that no one under the influence of alcohol can start their vehicle.
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers estimates that ignition interlock devices have prevented over 2.3 million would-be drunk drivers. Learn more about Intoxalock’s car breathalyzers for teens and teen drunk driving statistics here.
For more information about an Intoxalock ignition interlock device, call our state specialists at 833-623-0200.
