Teen passenger safety

When teens start driving, 很有可能他们十几岁的朋友也在学开车——所以在某些时候，你的孩子很可能是一辆由没有多少经验的人驾驶的车的乘客. According to the CDC, 青少年发生车祸的风险增加，当他们有青少年或年轻的成人乘客. 而导致青少年死亡的主要原因之一是车祸. 一些青少年驾驶数据显示，在2020年， 56% of teen passenger fatalities happened when another teenager was driving.

青少年乘客可以通过限制分心来帮助降低这种风险, respecting the driver and wearing a seat belt. 这里有一些教你的孩子成为有安全意识的乘客的快速提示:

• Talk about how to be a safe passenger. Distracted driving is a major cause of crashes乘客的分心对新司机来说尤其危险. 与乘客讨论一些有帮助的行为，比如在被问到路线时读路线，尊重司机，不要大声说话, chatting on a cell phone, playing loud music or acting disruptively.
• Insist on seat belts. According to the NHTSA, in 2020 52% of teen drivers who died weren't wearing seat belts. Explain that by buckling up, they'll help protect their friends' lives, as well as their own because in a crash, an unrestrained body can hurt others in the car.
• 不要让孩子和经验不足一年的司机搭车. Most teen crashes are the result of "rookie" mistakes. 即使是最成熟的青少年也需要时间通过成人监督的驾驶来获得驾驶经验. According to DMV.org, 一些研究表明，当车上有乘客时，青少年发生事故的风险会增加, 没有经验的司机在和朋友、兄弟姐妹等年轻乘客一起开车时更容易分心.
• Pay attention. 为了帮助他们做出正确的安全决定，保持沟通渠道畅通. 知道他们要去哪里，为什么要去，讨论他们如何到达那里，什么时候回家. 提供其他选择，比如搭便车，帮助他们避免不安全的驾驶情况.
• Create a code word. 让青少年给你打电话或发短信，用事先约定好的表示有麻烦的暗号，帮助他们摆脱不安全的处境. 当你听到或看到这个词的时候，马上把它们捡起来.
• Lead by example. 想想这些良好的驾驶行为:系好安全带, don't speed, and don't talk on a cell phone or text while driving.
• Do not ride with substance-impaired drivers. 提醒你的孩子不要和任何因酒精或其他物质而受损的司机上车. Drunk driving is not only illegal, but it can be fatal. In 2020, 30% of all traffic fatalities involved a driver who was alcohol-impaired. 此外，鼓励你的孩子在离开时做出明智的选择 prom and graduation parties.

Learn more about teen driver safety and tools for new drivers with these additional tips. And feel free to reach out to a State Farm® agent if you want to learn more about car insurance for teens and new drivers.