It might come as no surprise to you that teenagers are ranked one of the worst group of drivers on the road today. Not far behind teenagers are people 80 and older, who are involved in 5.5 times as many fatal crashed per mile driven as middle-aged drivers.
According to an article on ConsumerReports.org, the risk level for teens and seniors remains at a high level and could become greater within the coming years. The Baby Boomers are entering their later years with about 10,000 people turning 65 every day for the next 18 years. As people become older, they start to lose their abilities such as driving. Despite having years of experience behind the wheel, age-related conditions can impede their driving ability and car accidents often cause more severe outcomes.
On the other hand, inexperience behind the wheel is what makes teen drivers at risk. Combine this with peer pressure and distractions such as cell phones and iPods, and you have a very risky group of drivers.
So what can we do about these risky drivers? As for the Baby Boomers, the best thing you can do is treat the situation with care. Some older drivers may have trouble admitting that they can’t drive anymore and don’t want to give up this privilege. Be sensitive to the driver’s feelings and offer plenty of alternatives to driving, such as car services or advising them to only drive during certain times of the day.
When dealing with teenage drivers, make sure you give them plenty of practice behind the wheel with adult supervision and enforce a rule that no electronics are allowed while they are driving. It is important that teenagers practice driving during all times of the day and in all kinds of weather. You should also teach your teenager what to do in certain emergencies, such as hitting a deer or getting a flat tire. Look over some of our older blog posts to review safety tips that you and your teenager can use.
Driving is an activity that should be taken seriously and treated with care. Always make sure you are protected with a Wisconsin auto insurance policy and stay safe on the roadways!
-Sam