Teen drivers have a lot stacked against them when they first get their licenses. If you were to poll adult drivers, most would probably say the biggest reason for teen car crashes is cellphones. While they are a cause for concern for all drivers, teen drivers are dealing with a bigger problem that isn’t an electronic device; peer passengers.

Startling Statistics

In the June 2015 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, a study on the role of passengers in teen drivers and serious crashes. The CDC confirmed their findings that teens driving with teen passengers increased the crash risk when left unsupervised. The risk of crashing increasing with each additional teen passenger.

Just having peers in the car can cause a teen driver to do more risky driving behaviors like speeding, driving erratically, and playing the music too loud. Having these distractions is even more significant during the first few months of having a license, especially since 59% of teen passenger deaths happen in cars driven by a peer.

Prevention

This information is helpful in guiding driving curriculums, but that isn’t enough. Teens require driving independently to get the experience needed to feel comfortable behind the wheel of a car. Data shows that new teen drivers need between 1,000 and 1,500 miles of independent driving before their risk of getting in a crash drops significantly.

In Illinois, drivers are limited to one passenger under the age of 20 until they have had their driver’s license for a year or they turn 18, whichever comes first. There are exceptions to this law, including driving a sibling, step-sibling, child or stepchild of the driver.

This is an example of graduated licensing laws. These grant privileges in stages, like limiting passengers and restricting nighttime driving. Every state has these in some form in the United States and it all started back in the mid-1990s. These licensing laws have been shown to substantially lower fatal crash rates in teenagers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute.

Parents have a lot of influence in limiting distractions too. Make sure you stress and model the importance of driving safely, always. Whether you live in a state where these limitations apply, it is helpful if parents step in to encourage and enforce the rules. While you cannot control your child and the choices they make, you can set clear boundaries of expectations and talk to them more about making smart choices. Following up with questions of who was in the car and asking about distractions is also a great way to help keep your teen driver accountable.

Most adults remember the feeling of being able to drive friends around the first time. It is a lot of fun and comes with an increased level of independence, but it should be done safely. When teens understand the importance of limiting distractions, they can do better at keeping focused and reminding their friends to do the same.

Part of being a responsible driver means always being proactive. This means that you take the initiative to stay safe and do your best to keep others on the road safe too rather than depending on other drivers to keep you safe. Here are five habits you can develop to become a proactive driver.

1. Check Your Temper

Don’t let yourself react to the other drivers around you. Don’t get upset if they do a bad maneuver or are aggressive toward you. Road rage incidents are becoming more dangerous with the number of people pulling out guns is increasing.

Instead of overreacting to other drivers. Make sure you remember that safety is the most important part of driving. It usually takes two people to fight, so if you ignore their behavior or just do your best to not engage them, you can avoid a lot of problems. If the other driver stays aggressive, call the police to come. Too often, these situations turn dangerous.

2. Stay Safe

There are several important steps that help keep you and the passengers in your vehicle safe. Since you are responsible for those riding in your car, never start driving until everyone is buckled in properly, including yourself.

Remember other important safety steps, like signaling before turning, merging, or changing lanes. Always use your hazards if sitting on the side of the road and keep a safe following distance with the car in front of you.

3. Don’t Drive Distracted

It’s important to stay focused on the road and your surroundings. If you are distracted by a cell phone, friends, or trying to change a music station, you are not driving proactively. Keep distractions to a minimum, being aware of pedestrians, light signals, traffic patterns, and all the other movements around you. Watch the driver ahead of you carefully, to monitor their speed and if they are braking.

This will help keep you safe and ready to go or stop if necessary.

4. Use Your Mirrors

A major part of proactive driving is knowing what is going on around you. When you first enter the car, make sure that all mirrors are positioned so you can see out of them all properly. Keep an eye on what all drivers around you are doing and know where they are positioned.

This helps you be more aware of someone being in your blind spot. Before changing lanes, speed, or any direction, check all your mirrors and your blind spots to make sure you do it safely.

5. Anticipate Other Driver’s Moves

Whenever you are about to pull in to an intersection or traffic of any kind, try to anticipate what other drivers are doing. Intersections are an important place to watch what other drivers are doing. Knowing when you have the right-of-way is important, but if it is your turn and another driver starts to go, drive carefully.

It’s also a good idea not to rush into an intersection right when the light turns green. Vehicles traveling the other direction might try and get through as their light turns red. Remember that it is more important to stay safe than prove you’re right.

Proactive driving takes a lot of practice to get right, but once you get used to this style of driving, it becomes second nature. It takes time to recognize the habits you should develop. Do a lot of self-evaluation and watch other drivers when you’re a passenger. The best part is that it helps increase your chances of getting everywhere safely when you’re behind the wheel.

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of picnics, vacations, swimming, and deadly accidents. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, there is an increased number of car crashes. From 2012 to 2017, there were more than 5,000 deaths during this time frame. Let’s look at the five most common reasons behind crashes and ways that you can stay safe.

1. Be Aware of Increased Traffic

The main reason for the 100 deadliest days is that there are more drivers on the road. Memorial Day is usually the time that school lets out and there are more teen drivers on the road. Teen drivers are less experienced and usually dealing with a lot of distractions. Teens aren’t the only drivers on the road though. More individuals and families are heading out to enjoy the weather, attend popular summertime events, and going on vacations. With more drivers on the road, the more likely it is that there will be collisions.

2. No Impaired and Drowsy Driving

Long road trips, big parties, and holiday celebrations lead a lot of people to drive while impaired in some way. Whether it is alcohol, drugs, or driving drowsy, people are getting behind the wheel of a car unable to drive safely. If you find yourself in any of these situations, don’t rationalize that you are good enough to drive. Instead, find a friend to be your designated driver or call a ride share or taxi service. It’s never worth putting your life and those around you at risk.

3. Don’t Forget to Buckle Up

When the sun is really hot, it’s not comfortable to buckle up. Don’t wait until they cool off. Don’t worry about being too wet or that you’re close enough to home that you neglect it either. If you are driving, you are responsible for making sure everyone in your car has a seat belt and is wearing it. Even minor collisions can have fatal results when proper restraints aren’t used.

4. Watch Your Speed

Driving too fast is a common cause for car crashes. With dry roads, clear skies, and fun things to do, drivers tend to drive a little more recklessly. Combine this reason with more drivers on the road and it is a recipe for disaster. The most common reason for speeding is because you’re late or have some sort of road rage. Plan and make sure you leave on time, giving yourself a buffer for bad traffic. With more people out driving and pedestrians out walking, it is important that you don’t speed so that everyone can stay safe. If you ever find yourself in a situation where another driver wants to race, don’t do it. It is illegal and dangerous.

5. Avoid Distracted Driving

Texting and driving is the most common distraction for drivers. Don’t mess with your phone in any way while operating a vehicle. Pull off the road and out of traffic if you must enter an address, take a call, or send a text. Even looking down for a few seconds can cause fatal results.

Whether you are driving a motorcycle or driving around them, it is important to brush up on your safety
skills. While most drivers are comfortable around other cars on the road, there are behaviors that are
dangerous to motorcyclists around them. Here are five tips for drivers with four wheels and those with
two.

Safety Tips for Vehicle Drivers

1. Check your blind spots

Whenever you are changing lanes, it’s vital to check your blind spots.
The different rearview mirrors can miss drivers that fall in the blind area, so checking over your
shoulder is a good habit to get into. A quick glance doesn’t always cut it though. Motorcycles are
smaller than other vehicles, making the blind spot bigger and harder to spot them. Be aware and
check around you more carefully.

2. Give them space

Motorcycles are easier to maneuver and only require small movements to
change lanes. When a motorcycle is on the road around you, give them space because they can
make a movement very fast and you might not be ready for it.

3. Control your rage

If a motorcyclist cuts you off or does something else to make you angry,
don’t tailgate, swerve toward, or make aggressive movements toward them. One small bump
and you could end that driver’s life.

4. Approach intersections carefully

Most drivers are not aware that intersections are danger hot
spots for bikers. People are not accustomed to looking for motorcyclists when turning left, often
turning into a motorcyclist when they thought the gap between cars was empty. Turning any
direction with a motorcyclist near is dangerous if other drivers aren’t watching carefully.

5. Don’t drive while drunk

Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or fatigue is dangerous,
but it’s especially dangerous around motorcycles. Since they have faster movements and an
impaired driver has slower reaction times, the results are more fatal for the motorcyclist.
Impaired driving is hazardous to everyone, so just don’t do it.

Safety Tips for Motorcyclists

1. Signal carefully

Drivers around you are not used to seeing the fast moves you can make when
changing lanes. It’s important that you signal for a few seconds before making a movement so
that everyone around you knows where you are going. Swerving in and out of traffic without
signaling is a recipe for disaster.

2. Watch the weather

Small weather storms can create a dangerous roadway if you’re out on
your motorcycle. Driving through puddles, slippery roads, and high winds can easily cause a
driver to crash. If the weather is bad and you can’t avoid driving on your motorcycle, drive
slower and use extra caution.

3. Avoid driving when its dark

Motorcycles are already hard to spot on the road, but add in a dark
bike, dark surroundings, and a driver wearing dark clothes and the small lights just aren’t
effective. If possible, avoid driving when it’s dark. Always drive defensively, remembering that
others can’t see you very well.

4. Always wear a helmet

Protective gear can make all the difference between life and death when
you ride a motorcycle. Always wear a helmet to keep your visibility good and protect your head
in case of an accident. Also, wear leather clothing to help protect your skin from road rash during
an accident.

5. Don’t drive while drunk

While it’s dangerous for any driver to operate a car while drunk or
under the influence of drugs, it is even more dangerous for motorcyclists. Don’t ever drive your
bike if you are impaired in any way. One wrong move or jerky movement and you may not live
to tell the tale.

Driving in the fog can be a dangerous venture, even for veteran drivers. Most drivers will turn down the music and tell passengers to be quiet, so they can focus more on the road when entering these conditions.

Unless you live in a climate that requires you to navigate these types of driving conditions frequently, it’s hard to feel comfortable or drive confidently in the fog. Here are five great tips to help you reach your destination safely.

1. Reduce your speed.

Because even thin fog can conceal other cars, animals, and signs, it is important that you don’t drive at the usual speed limits. The thicker the fog, the slower you should drive.

Make sure you pay close attention to the speedometer. Driving through fog makes it hard to know how fast you’re going because you can’t see buildings or other cars to determine if your speed is appropriate.

2. Adjust your lighting.

Most vehicles are outfitted with fog lights, which help make the road more visible. It is always best to use these lights, if possible. If not, you should turn on your low-beam headlights.

Using your high-beam headlights might seem like a good idea, but the light reflects off the water particles and bounces back to you, reducing visibility even more.

3. Follow the lines.

The road lines are an important thing to pay attention to during foggy conditions. Since you can’t see things farther than a few feet away, you should watch the white line on the right side of the road to make sure you’re in the appropriate lane. It is easy to veer into another lane of traffic or off the road entirely if you aren’t careful. Using this line helps keep you on the right path.

4. Don’t stop on the road.

If driving in the fog is too intimidating to you, don’t stop on the road. If you are on a highway, don’t just pull off to the side to wait it out either. The fog will hide your car and create another hazard for other drivers, potentially causing a lot of damage for both parties.

If you don’t want to drive in the fog, pull off the freeway or highway and go to a parking lot. You can stay there to wait it out or find a place to rest. It isn’t worth the risk to park so close to traffic.

Once you are parked, turn off your lights so no one thinks they are in a lane of traffic.

5. Use your surroundings.

If you feel like you need some extra support, consider following the taillights in front of you. Some vehicles have built-in fog lights on the back to help give light for those around them.

This safety feature helps other drivers to see the vehicle, to prevent rear-ending, but it also helps provide a light for others to follow. Many drivers depend on the cars in front of them to help navigate the road and regulate speed.

Using these five tips will help keep you safe when driving in the fog. It isn’t anything that becomes easier with practice, but knowing how to handle it can reduce some of the stress you feel while in it.

Out of all five senses, sight is the most relied on while you are behind the wheel of a car. It’s important to see where you are going, but the other senses are all very important too.

Using the ability to hear, smell, and touch increase your abilities while operating a vehicle. Here are just some of the ways that these all impact your driving every time you get in the driver’s seat.

The Sense of Hearing

Using your ears is just as important as using your eyes when driving. It is very important if you are trying to listen to directions on your GPS, but that’s not all. There are so many sounds on the road that give you clues to what is happening around you that you might not see.

For example, many drivers can hear sirens on emergency vehicles before they ever see them. Once you hear them, staying alert to know when you should pull off the road and out of the way is important. Other important sounds are:

• Honking horns- to warn or communicate
• Train whistles and train crossing alerts
• Braking squeals to warn of nearby accidents, hazards, or potential situations

Other sounds can come from the car that alerts you to mechanical issues. These are all reasons that driver’s education teachers try to teach students that playing your music too loud can impair your driving abilities.

The Sense of Smell

The largest thing smell helps with is letting you know that there is a problem in your car. Any unusual smells coming from under the hood like an overheated engine, exhaust fumes in your car, or burning brakes are all indications you should take your car to a mechanic.

The Sense of Touch

Hands are obviously important when driving a car. However, they do more than just steer. If you pay attention to the tension in your arms and the way the car feels, you can learn a lot.

For instance, if your tires are low on air, or improperly aligned, it’s usually felt in your steering ability. You will find it harder to drive straight because the car will pull to one side. It’s important to pay attention to the feel of your vehicle.

Another way that touch enhances driving is that it helps you pay attention to the road while accomplishing other tasks with one of your hands.

Once you become very familiar with a car, you can tell where buttons are by touch. Instead of having to try to find where everything is, you learn by feel to find the windshield wipers, blinkers, and headlights.

Using Your Senses

Being a safe driver, you will need to use all your senses. People can drive without one of these senses, but if you know how to rely on these abilities, driving is easier because the experience is enhanced.

When you use these other senses to stay alert to different dangers on the road, you are much more likely to get to your destination safely.