Your teen may have recently passed their state driver\u2019s license test, but that doesn\u2019t mean your teen is ready to safely hit the open road. In fact, teens\u2019 risk of having a car crash is highest immediately after they get their license. And it stays high for the first two to three years.<\/p>\n
Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. That\u2019s why researchers at Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP)\u00a0Center for Injury Research and Prevention<\/a>\u00a0are studying the causes behind crashes and how to prevent them. They have found that high-quality, parent-supervised driving practice is crucial because one reason why teens crash is inexperience behind the wheel.<\/p>\n \u201cFor teens to become safe, competent drivers, they need to develop critical driving skills and practice them in a range of driving environments and conditions. Passing the on-road test \u2014 which tests the basic operation of a vehicle \u2014 does not mean that new drivers have the skills to avoid crashes,\u00bb says\u00a0Flaura Winston, MD, PhD<\/a>, founder and co-scientific director for the Center for Injury Research and Prevention. \u201cTo develop these skills, they need to practice, practice, and then practice some more with a parent or other responsible adult in the passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n Be sure to provide your teen with lots of supervised practice driving hours and to stress the following to tackle the three big reasons why teen drivers crash: not anticipating and scanning for hazards, poor speed management, and being distracted.<\/p>\nTackling the big reasons teen drivers crash<\/h2>\n
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