Parents
who get rattled by sobering news stories about teen-driving
accidents often ask, "What can I do to keep my child safe?"
We often stress two points in particular: Actively ensure your family follows the graduated-licensing law, and consider setting your own "house rules" appropriate for your...
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Despite
the grim stats linking young drivers with cell phones and
texting, there's hope on the horizon.
It's rooted in a human sensitivity as old as
civilization itself: peer pressure.
Bridgestone Tires issued results April 18 of its
national survey of drivers age 16-21. Key findings: 71%
said...
Teen
driving can be expensive. In some families teens share those costs,
while in others it’s the parents who provide the car and pay the
insurance.
I envied my neighbor in high school. We were the same
age. His parents let him use both of the family cars, paid for his
insurance, and even gave him...
In the
wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, Americans are again being
reminded to “be vigilant.”
The same advice could be offered to teen drivers as we
head toward the summer months, when teen car crashes tend to
spike.
It begins with prom and graduation season (celebration
time) and...
Getting
your driver’s license soon?
Before you take the exam, take a practice test online.
Both Washington and Oregon offer them on state government
websites.
Parents, you might enjoy taking the test also, to see
how well you know the current rules of the road.
Washington’s website offers...
Tired of
reading data that labels teenagers as risky drivers?
Here’s a positive approach, a tip that’s simple yet
guaranteed to save lives: Buckle up. EVERY time you enter a
car.
Before you think, “brilliant – nothing like stating
the obvious!” consider this fact from the Centers for Disease...
It's
April, which means prom season is nearly upon us.
Are you making prom plans? Or are you a parent of a
high-school teen planning to go? Here's PEMCO's favorite
prom tip -- it's our favorite because it makes teens
and moms and dads happy.
Ditch the car. Take a limo
instead.
That's right....
Baby
boomers might recall a movie shown in driver’s ed classes called
“Signal 30,” which aimed to scare 1960s and ‘70s teens into driving
safely by showing gory, real-life accident scenes.
Scare tactics often backfire or get dismissed as
hyperbole. Yet one West Coast town is using a new twist via...
In
2010, just 46% of 17-year-olds had driver's licenses, compared with
69% in 1983.
Recent studies suggest our culture has shifted because
technology now keeps teens connected to one another, unlike years
ago when driving served that purpose. Socializing, music, movies,
clothes – they’re all now...
A
sad, cautionary tale emerged from Ohio last week with several
characteristics that fit the profile of a typical teen-driver
crash: car full of teens, after dark, speeding, driver loses
control, car leaves roadway, seat belts not used.
In this case an SUV flipped and landed in a pond....
