Tips for Teens
As you're celebrating this summer and preparing for the year ahead, also remember to be safe on the road ahead. Insist on safety belt use. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 31,693 passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes during 2004 - and 55% of those killed were NOT wearing their safety belts at the time of the crash.
Drinking and driving don't mix. More than a third of all teen traffic fatalities involve alcohol. It is illegal and highly dangerous for anyone to drive after drinking or using any other drug. No excuses. No second chances. No alcohol, period. It is illegal in all 50 states for anyone under age 21 to drink alcohol, much less drink and drive.
Avoid distractions. Driving demands full attention. Your responsibility is to operate the vehicle safely. Distractions like the radio, cell phones and passengers take your attention away from the road. Remember, increasing distractions increases the risk of a crash.
Pay attention to tire safety. Safe operation of your vehicle requires that your tires be properly inflated. Remember that a tire can lose up to half of its air pressure without appearing flat. Every day before you drive, check your tires. If one looks lower than the others, use a tire gauge to check the pressure of all tires and adjust if required
Drinking and driving don't mix. More than a third of all teen traffic fatalities involve alcohol. It is illegal and highly dangerous for anyone to drive after drinking or using any other drug. No excuses. No second chances. No alcohol, period. It is illegal in all 50 states for anyone under age 21 to drink alcohol, much less drink and drive.
Avoid distractions. Driving demands full attention. Your responsibility is to operate the vehicle safely. Distractions like the radio, cell phones and passengers take your attention away from the road. Remember, increasing distractions increases the risk of a crash.
Pay attention to tire safety. Safe operation of your vehicle requires that your tires be properly inflated. Remember that a tire can lose up to half of its air pressure without appearing flat. Every day before you drive, check your tires. If one looks lower than the others, use a tire gauge to check the pressure of all tires and adjust if required
Toyota Teen Driver Program offers these tips to teens:
Dealing With Peer Pressure While driving can be fun, it's a serious responsibility. When a teen driver has just one other teen passenger in the car, the risk of having a fatal crash doubles.
Now, we're sure that you don't agree with your friends about every single thing, right? Just take a look around at what some of them are wearing today! Can you think of a decision one of your friends made recently that you didn't agree with?
So why would you agree with them about the best decisions behind the wheel? We encourage you to be your own person. We know that after spending time on this site and spending quality time learning behind the wheel, that you're qualified to make your very own decisions….the right decisions!
As a teen, you will be faced with all types of pressure to fit in. That includes behind the wheel. It's not always easy to have friends pressuring you to do things you shouldn't. It helps to listen to your gut. Get comfortable saying "no" and think through some possible scenarios in advance. Talk to your parents about what you could do if you feel embarrassed about having to call them in front of your friends. You could agree on a code word that would indicate you're in a sticky situation and need their help. Your parents just want you to be safe, so they'll work with you to create alternative solutions for when you're with your friends.
Or, maybe you're cool enough to be a… TRENDSETTER! Look around you. Which person decided it was a cool thing to drink… and then drive? Aren't you much cooler than they are? What if you have the power to make NOT drinking the popular thing this year? What if you were so cool, that you make people who text while driving feel lame?
Lastly, it is possible to have friends that are both cool AND responsible. Choose your friends as carefully as you choose your wardrobe and your taste in music. Because there's nothing less cool than friends that may make decisions that put your life and others in danger. Don't be afraid to speak up and voice your opinion. True friends will listen and understand when you don't feel comfortable in a situation.
Now, we're sure that you don't agree with your friends about every single thing, right? Just take a look around at what some of them are wearing today! Can you think of a decision one of your friends made recently that you didn't agree with?
So why would you agree with them about the best decisions behind the wheel? We encourage you to be your own person. We know that after spending time on this site and spending quality time learning behind the wheel, that you're qualified to make your very own decisions….the right decisions!
As a teen, you will be faced with all types of pressure to fit in. That includes behind the wheel. It's not always easy to have friends pressuring you to do things you shouldn't. It helps to listen to your gut. Get comfortable saying "no" and think through some possible scenarios in advance. Talk to your parents about what you could do if you feel embarrassed about having to call them in front of your friends. You could agree on a code word that would indicate you're in a sticky situation and need their help. Your parents just want you to be safe, so they'll work with you to create alternative solutions for when you're with your friends.
Or, maybe you're cool enough to be a… TRENDSETTER! Look around you. Which person decided it was a cool thing to drink… and then drive? Aren't you much cooler than they are? What if you have the power to make NOT drinking the popular thing this year? What if you were so cool, that you make people who text while driving feel lame?
Lastly, it is possible to have friends that are both cool AND responsible. Choose your friends as carefully as you choose your wardrobe and your taste in music. Because there's nothing less cool than friends that may make decisions that put your life and others in danger. Don't be afraid to speak up and voice your opinion. True friends will listen and understand when you don't feel comfortable in a situation.
