As a concerned parent, you've spent years protecting your children from the dangers on, and off the road. Now that their 15 or 16, you're handing over the keys to the family car, entrusting them to obey the rules of the road, exercise good judgement and drive safely – a scary thought!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while the total number of driver fatalities have decreased over the years, motor vehicle crashes still remain one of the leading causes of teen deaths in the United States.

The NHTSA reports that:

• Auto accidents are the leading cause of death in 15 to 20 year-olds in the U.S.
• In 2012, over 4,000 teen drivers were involved in fatal crashes.

Shaping a Safe Teen Driver

Teens don't normally get into crashes because they don't remember what they learned in driver's education, or because they don't understand the basic rules of the road. Rather, studies show that teens get into crashes because of driver inexperience, driver distraction, and risk-taking.

According to the NHTSA, drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 have the highest fatality crash rates due to immaturity, limited driving experience and high-risk driving behaviors.

Parents, teach your new drivers to:

• Always wear a seat belt
• Never text while driving
• Slow down
• Don't drink and drive
• Pull over to use a cell phone
• Limit their night driving
• Limit the number of passengers

On another note, parents often buy their kids inexpensive, old cars that are well past their prime. Such cars don't usually have the latest safety features such as side-curtain airbags that are so important to novice drivers. So, when it comes to your teen's safety, it's better to find a vehicle that has met rigorous safety testing standards.

If your son or daughter has been injured in an accident due to another driver's negligence, use our directory to get connected with an experienced personal injury lawyer near you!