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5 Reasons Behind Car Accidents Caused By Teens

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Teenage years are an unusual time for anyone. Teenagers are not children anymore, but they are yet to gain the maturity and experience of adulthood. Now, the transition to adulthood takes baby steps and one of those steps is learning how to drive. So, if your teen is excited about it, first talk to them about the dangers of reckless driving and how they can stay safe and keep others safe too. Why?

Well, in India, as per NGO Synergie, teen death figures were at 9,400 for the year 2017, amounting to nearly 25 fatalities each day. The financial burden on bereaved families, and the collective society at large is substantial, given the loss of potentially productive members.

So, it is essential that your teenager follows rules and stays focused on the road all the time. Plus, it is important to renew car insurance when it is due for the same. This can protect you financially in case your child gets involved in an accident despite all precautions. Now, read on to know the common causes of car accidents involving teens and why they need to be cautious.

1. Distracted driving

Distractions are aplenty nowadays with mobile phones, internet connectivity, and the like. Eating food, changing the radio station or track on their phone, texting, being on a call, looking for directions on Google Maps, making videos or taking photos, are all designed to take their attention away from the roads. It’s best to park the car on the side of the road and conduct these activities before driving again.

2. Driving under the influence of intoxicants

Stepping into teen years often means getting friendly with alcohol and recreational drugs, which is a danger any way you look at it. Also note that the permissible limit of blood alcohol in India is 0.03%. So, remember to talk to your kids about the consumption of alcohol, and the risks involved when driving after its consumption. Also, alcohol is not the only culprit. Other intoxicants such as marijuana, hash, and the commonly available ‘bhaang’, can impair your teenager’s ability to think and react quickly, putting themselves and other passengers at risk.

3. Tired driving

Teens have explosive energy, but even that runs out eventually. With all the playing, socialising, and running errands, they do get tired. And driving in a tired state is not ideal, given that it slows down one’s response times and reduces alertness – a combination that can prove fatal when driving.

4. Not following traffic rules

Speeding is the most common violation when it comes to teen driving. It is also most likely to result in an accident. With speed trap cameras set up at important points across major cities, tracking speed violations have become easier, although it’s nowhere near comprehensive. Therefore, it makes sense to inform your teen about the dangers of speeding – even if it’s due to peer-pressure, or under less-than-ideal weather conditions. There can be no excuse for speeding.

Conclusion

Apart from speeding, teach kids the different traffic signs and what they mean, and familiarise them with the traffic pattern in your area. In India, where driving tests aren’t entirely hands-on and focused on removing poor driving habits, you can sit with your kid initially to iron out any possible kinks. This will result in a generation that drives better, reducing the number of fatalities and crashes. Remember to also renew car insurance on time, to teach them the significance of insurance and the financial burden that comes with rejection of claims due to traffic rules violations.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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