By Jennifer Morrison, Head of Automobile Security at Mazda North American Operations
Embarking on the street of teenage driving is a pivotal, but daunting second for fogeys. We wish our older youngsters to be as protected behind the wheel as they as soon as have been whereas snuggly tucked into their automotive seats. A giant a part of guaranteeing our teenager’s security on the street is minimizing distractions whereas driving and maximizing the advantages from accessible crash prevention applied sciences.
In my capability because the Head of Automobile Security at Mazda, leveraging 15 years of experience as a freeway crash investigator, and as a mum or dad to a newly-permitted teen driver, I’m intimately aware of the alarming statistics surrounding freeway crashes. There are over 6 million crashes a 12 months within the US, leading to tens of millions of accidents and tens of 1000’s of fatalities, a disproportionate quantity occurring by the hands of younger drivers.
Because the mum or dad or accountable celebration, it’s essential to be taught the very best methods to assist your teenage driver decrease distractions and achieve an understanding of how car applied sciences are actually, greater than ever, a part of the security equation. We should educate new drivers as they begin out that driving is a privilege, not a proper, and have to be dealt with with the utmost care. That’s why we’ve supplied the next security tricks to preserve teen drivers and fogeys protected behind the wheel.
Finest Practices to Keep away from Distracted Driving
Whereas my work helps make automobiles as protected as potential, it stays the driving force’s duty to deal with the street and never get sidelined by issues just like the ever-present pull of our cell telephones. For teenage drivers, studying to drive is best when it’s the one factor they’ve to consider.
Firstly, restrict the usage of leisure. It’s a good suggestion to progressively step into use of infotainment techniques, encouraging new drivers to not tune into podcasts, audiobooks, and even the radio in the event that they discover it distracting. Cell telephones must be positioned out of attain in the course of the essential studying phases. As soon as new drivers are comfy with the basics, staying related safely is feasible with techniques like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. In many more moderen automobiles, pairing the driving force’s telephone with the automotive may also allow computerized 911 calling within the occasion of a crash.
I’d additionally suggest limiting the variety of passengers within the automotive with a brand new driver. Different passengers, particularly friends, may be actually difficult for teen drivers. A lot so, that many states have integrated limitations on passengers into their graduated licensing packages. Even when your state doesn’t use graduated licensing, set boundaries on who’s allowed in your teen driver’s automotive, in addition to when and the place they will drive. It’s usually only to place down expectations, guidelines, penalties, and rewards on paper so your teen driver is aware of what they will sit up for as soon as they show themselves attentive and accountable.
There are many teen driving apps accessible to help, akin to Life360, which provides location companies together with superior security options like crash detection and detailed driver studies.
Choosing the Preferrred Experience for Your Teen
Teenagers usually have starkly completely different concepts for his or her first automobiles than their dad and mom do. They could have slick wheels and a giant engine of their sights when you have the older beater within the driveway earmarked for them. I guarantee you that there are many higher choices in between.
The primary intuition for a lot of dad and mom could also be to buy a used automotive. When you go this route, I’d suggest a Licensed Pre-Owned car inbuilt the previous couple of years. One other nice choice is to go along with a brand new automotive, which additionally provides benefits akin to a robust guarantee and probably the most up-to-date security applied sciences. Automobiles just like the Mazda3 or CX-5 come normal with quite a lot of security applied sciences and are named on IIHS and Client Report’s listing of Advisable Protected Vehicles for Teenagers. The listing considers value and reliability, in addition to really useful security options of their roundup of finest choices. Whether or not your teenage driver begins off in a big SUV or sporty sedan, there are particular security options I’d suggest throughout the board.
The Most Essential Security Options for Teen Drivers
The security expertise options I view as non-negotiables for teen drivers are computerized emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane departure warning techniques, which Mazda proudly consists of as normal throughout all new automobiles.
Computerized emergency braking makes use of sensors to detect potential collisions and might intervene by making use of the brakes if mandatory, whereas blind spot monitoring provides new drivers an additional set of eyes on busy highways. Lane departure warning gives well timed alerts to stop unintended lane modifications or swerves, serving as an efficient instrument for reinforcing correct signaling habits.
Though these options can’t exchange a completely attentive driver, they will function a security internet, serving to to keep away from crashes when teen drivers inevitably miss issues, as even skilled drivers do.
Hold Your Teen Driver Protected Behind the Wheel
Though I’ve labored in transportation security for a few years, I presently have the respect of viewing teenage driving via the attitude of a involved mum or dad, and as somebody whose children will share the street together with your children. Let’s work collectively to coach our youngsters about how simple and harmful it’s to grow to be distracted behind the wheel, and if potential, select a automotive that will probably be a superb associate in holding them protected. Working to restrict identified dangers and lean into accessible applied sciences helps make driving safer for our personal households and everybody else.
Concerning the Creator: Jennifer Morrison is the Head of Automobile Security at Mazda North American Operations. With a deal with overseeing the event of crash avoidance expertise in automobiles, she’s decided to assist enhance roadway security one automotive at a time. Earlier than working for Mazda, Morrison spent over 15 years on the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) investigating freeway crashes as an Investigator-in-Cost and a security advocate.
