How Safe Are Teen drivers on the Road?
Written by The Clearcover Team | 2 minute read
We often hear about how dangerous teen drivers are on the road, but most of what we hear is data and statistics gleaned from accident reports—it’s not the whole story. Since we’re customer-focused here at Clearcover, we wanted to know about teen driving from the people most concerned: their parents. So, as part of our Family Mile Markers series, we asked US parents what they thought of their teenager’s driving education—and how their teen’s driving compares with their own.
The result? It looks like teens might be better prepared to drive safely than we think. Here’s what our survey uncovered.
US parents believe that teens are better prepared to drive safely on the road
Learning to drive on the road can be scary, but, according to parents, it looks like the drivers education situation is improving. 73% of our survey-takers said that their teenager received a better driving education than they did. And the improvement in education might be having some effects on road safety: 65% of survey-takers stated that their child is a safer driver than they were at their age.
Parents also believe that laws designed to protect new drivers are effective
The laws for getting licensed have changed significantly over the past few decades—most states now have some form of graduated licensing—and parents believe the new laws are making a difference. 93% of our survey-takers said that laws designed to protect new drivers save lives, and 91% stated that laws which mandate increased driving hours before getting a license keep us all safer.
Meanwhile, 89% of respondents agreed that laws that restrict the number of passengers for new drivers keep everyone safer. And they’re right: studies show that new laws which limit driving hours and passenger load do reduce fatal teen crashes.
Teens might be less distracted on the road than their parents
Our survey’s most sobering finding? More than half of the parents who took our survey admitted to being more distracted while driving than their teenager is. And 77% of our survey-takers said that they enforce driving rules for their child (such as stowing cell phones out of sight) that they do not follow themselves when they drive.
When it comes to focused driving, it looks like experienced generations need to start practicing what they preach—especially given the potential consequences of driving distracted.
Is your teenager getting their driver’s license soon?
We’ve got you: here’s what you need to know to keep your teen safe and insured on the road. And don’t forget to set a good example—the best way to encourage your teen to develop good driving habits is by displaying them yourself.
We’re always here to help you with your car-related decisions so feel free to get in touch with our Customer Advocate team with any questions!
This article is part III of Family Mile Markers, a new survey-based series that explores how family dynamics and relationships affect our driving and car insurance decisions. Read Part I: 3 Ways Your Finances Change After Having a Baby or Part II: Buying a New Car For Your Family? Consider This Trend.
