Thursday, April 30, 2009

Tips for Prom Night

Prom season is upon us with all the excitement and challenges associated with this major event in your teen's life. Your family may be hosting a pre or post prom party for your teen's friends.

Normally I focus on keeping your teen safe in the car, but it's equally important that she and her friends are safe in your home. Follow these rules to make sure the party goes as you planned:

  • When possible, do not have the party in a separate part of the house.

  • Parents need to stay visible during the party.

  • Bring in snacks or non-alcoholic beverages, wander through to say hello.

  • It is against the law to provide minors with alcohol.

  • Anyone who leaves the party will not be allowed to return.

  • Explain to your teen before the party that you are legally responsible for anything that happens to a minor who has been served alcohol in your home and that uninvited guests or those bringing in alcohol or other drugs will be asked to leave.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Teen Driver GPS Monitoring Systems

In my opinion, this is the greatest technological breakthrough for parents and their teen driver's safety. Before I go over the benefits to parents, let me explain how these systems work.

A little "black box" is installed usually under the dash where it can't be seen. This "black box" is basically a small computer that records it's exact location and is hooked up to certain features in the car- door locks and sometimes the ignition. It has a built-in antennae that send and receives signals to a satellite.

This data can be viewed from a website that is hosted by the GPS provider. Parents can monitor the vehicle's location and speed by visiting the website. Most systems can also allow the user to set alerts for speeding, braking curfew, or driving beyond a pre-designated area. These alerts can be sent by text message, e-mail or a phone call. It can also be used to un-lock the car doors in case the teen leaves the keys in the car- most parents would love this feature!

Since speeding is the leading cause of teen driver deaths, this tool is a must for parents!

Go to my website for more details- www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican

Friday, April 24, 2009

5 Most Common Mistakes Teen Drivers Make

This is an article my friend, Officer Jim Poer wrote on teen driver safety. I thought you should read it…

The hardest part of my job is having to knock on a parent's door to deliver the worst news they could ever get. After 30 years of investigating accidents, this is the part of my job I wish I never had to do. That is why I am committed to helping you make your teen a safer driver.

This month, I want to share with you the 5 most common mistakes that lead to teen driver accidents and fatalities.

Mistake #1- Speeding. There is a multiplier effect when it comes to speed. The faster you go, the amount of time required to stop is multiplied and at higher speeds, the time required to stop is greatly increased.Kids don't understand this, the physics side of driving that is. They assume they can stop when they want and unfortunately they don't get this knowledge from their driver's education class.Speed also leads to other common mistakes such as the second most common mistake.

Mistake #2- Over-Correcting. When a teen driver gets into a situation where they need to correct the direction of the vehicle, they often times, over-correct causing loss of control. When you add speed to this effect, the reaction is almost always an over correction that can't be brought back under control.

Mistake #3- Distractions. This is the subject of my latest blog and you can read more on this at http://www.parentalcourage.com. The problem these days is that kids have way too many things in their cars to distract them. Cell phones, mp-3 players, and text messaging, to name a few. But the biggest distraction is usually other kids in the car.

Mistake #4- Following too close. Just as I described in Mistake #1, when a vehicle is following too close at a high rate of speed, the ability to avoid a collision is reduced to almost nothing if that vehicle's driver decides to suddenly stop.

Mistake #5- Failure to Yield. Many accidents occur when a teen driver fails to yield to another driver when the other driver legally has the right of way. Failing to check for other vehicles in the blind spot, or not accurately estimating the closing rate of another vehicle are also very common problems.

Sincerely,Master Police Officer III James Poer

Officer Poer is a 30 year veteran accident investigator with the High Point Police Department. He is also a parent of 4 drivers. His experience, conviction, and advice is demonstrated on his website- www.parentalcourage.com. Please visit his site often and remain vigilant on your teen driver’s safety!

You can also learn more at my website

www.teendriverinsurance.com/All-American

Monday, April 20, 2009

Study Explains the Staggering Cost of Insuring Teen Drivers

Ask any parent who has just added a kid to the family's insurance policy and they'll tell you how expensive it is to have a teen behind the wheel. But the overall cost of teen driving is as tragic as it is staggering.

According to a recent report from AAA, car accidents involving drivers 15 to 17 cost society more than $34 billion in medical expenses, property damage and related costs in 2006. AAA also reports, in 2006 drivers ages 15 to 17 were involved in approximately 974,000 crashes that injured 406,427 people and killed 2,541. Here are more sobering statistics:

  • According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens, accounting for 36 percent of all deaths in this age group.
  • The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group, and per-miles-driven teens ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
  • Risk is highest at age 16, and the crash rate per miles driven is twice as high for 16 year olds as it is for 18 and 19 year olds, according to the IIHS.
  • IIHS statistics show that 16- and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger.

Parents can reduce the high cost of insuring their teen drivers. There are special discounts that can really make a big difference in how much you will have to pay for your teen to drive. Some of these discounts include:

  • Good Student- If you teen driver has a "B" average or better, you can save up to 10%.
  • Multi-policy- If you insure your home and cars with the same company, you can save up to 15% on both policies
  • GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System- There is one company that offers a 15% discount for installing this unit in the teen driver's car
  • Safe Driver- If your family has a clean driving and claims record, you can save up to 15%
  • Good credit- Some companies reward responsible customers based on their credit. This can be very significant and can save you as much as 35%.

The bottom line is that the most responsible families will pay the lowest premium. Stress to your teen that avoiding tickets and accidents is most critical to not only keeping your insurance rates down, but of course, assure the safety of your teen driver and others.

You can learn more about ways to save on your insurance and how you can keep your teen safe by visiting my website at www.teendriverinsurance.com/All-American.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

How to Prevent Teens From Speeding

By Master Police Officer III James Poer

It amazes me when I see kids speeding around town as if they are bullet proof and invincible. All too often, this is why we lose kids in car accidents. Speeding is the number one cause for teen driver deaths and it's because they really don't know better.

Once they get behind the wheel, they think they can control their car at any speed and tend to push the limits. The problem happens when they get into a situation at a high speed and can't react quickly enough. Even professional car racers sometimes can't react quickly enough at high speeds.

When you add speed to any situation, you have what is called the "multiplier" effect. This means that the faster you approach an object, the less time you have to properly react, so the speed of your reaction needs to be multiplied.

So, how can you make sure your teen doesn't speed? Of course, it's up to you to make certain they don't and there is one tool that can almost guarantee your teen driver doesn’t make this dangerous mistake. GPS Teen Monitoring System- In my opinion, this is the best thing invented since sliced bread. This system works so well because the teen understands that if he or she speeds, you will know about it.

Here’s how it works. A small gps unit is installed in your teen’s car, usually under the dash where it can’t be seen. The unit sends a signal to a satellite where it is monitored by the GPS provider. When you teen exceeds the preset speed limit, a signal is sent to you via text message, cell phone, or e-mail.

You can log into a special website where you can set the speed as well as monitor where your teen’s car is at any time. You can see how fast he or she is traveling and on what roads too. Some systems offer other safety features like driving range alerts and driving time alerts. For more information, contact your agent for special deals on these units.

During my years investigating accidents, I have seen the effects of speeding and witnessed the deaths of too many teens. If more parents had these units installed in their children’s cars, I am certain more teens would avoid fatal car accidents.

Officer Poer is a 30 year veteran accident investigator. He is also a parent of 4 drivers. His experience, conviction, and advice are demonstrated on his website- http://www.parentalcourage.com/. Please visit his site often and remain vigilant about your teen driver’s safety!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Choosing A Driving Instructor

By Master Police Officer James Poer Recently while speaking with a group of parents of teen drivers, one concern was expressed that many parents in the audience shared. How does a parent find the best driving instructor for their child? Apparently many of these parents who had been through this process previously with older siblings had been disappointed with previous instructors. The biggest problem was that the teens were only getting a fraction of the behind the wheel time initially promised. I would start by asking other parents for references on driving instructors they have been pleased with using. Regardless of whether you receive a recommendation, you should interview the instructor prior to signing up for a class. Ask questions such as: What are your credentials? How long have you been instructing teens? How much time will be spent driving? What exercises will be covered while driving? By simply demonstrating concern about the quality of the driving instruction, you are making the instructor aware of your expectations. Assuming he provides satisfactory answers to the above questions, you can now hold him accountable for providing the experience you are seeking. But remember, no driving school will provide as many hours as your teen needs to develop the appropriate skills. Experts recommend at least 100 hours behind the wheel before a teen drives alone. It's up to you to make up the difference and the Safe Teen Driver Guide offered by this agency is a tool that will help you maximize the skills learned during that time.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Your Teen Driver's Safety Is Your Responsibility

As a Family Insurance Specialist, I help families with teen drivers on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I don't only help them find the right protection for their needs, but I also hear about claims they make - or worse. I've had lots of opportunity to learn the results of inexperienced or careless mistakes teens make behind the wheel.

There are many dangers that teens face on the road: The effects of alcohol, distractions, and careless driving, as well as loss of control over the vehicle, can have severe consequences.In order to make your teen a safer driver, you have to provide them with as much opportunity to gain experience as possible, before you allow them to drive unsupervised. It is recommended that every teen get at least 100 hours behind the wheel while being supervised. Driving schools, at best, give your teen 6 hours of supervised driving time.

That means, it is up to you to make sure your teen gets the necessary experience.The lack of experience is why teens are 5 times more likely to get into accidents than experienced drivers! And, it is your responsibility as a parent to make sure your teen gets this experience of driving in different situations.

We have an excellent tool in helping you accomplish this task. It's called the "Safe Teen Driver Guide". This 16 step home study driving course gives you a lesson plan and driving exercises that cover the most important skills that every teen must master.

This guide will help you make your teen's supervised driving time most effective. Contact my office today to get a copy at 256-765-2200. It can really give your teen the experience and skill to come home safely every time they grab the car keys.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Hosting Teenage Parties

Prom season is upon us with all the excitement and challenges associated with this major event in your teen's life. Your family may be hosting a pre or post prom party for your teen's friends.

Normally I focus on keeping your teen safe in the car, but it's equally important that they and there friends are safe in your home. Follow these rules to make sure the party goes as you planned:

  • When possible, do not have the party in a separate part of the house.
  • Parents need to stay visible during the party.
  • Bring in snacks or non-alcoholic beverages, wander through to say hello.
  • It is against the law to provide minors with alcohol.
  • Anyone who leaves the party will not be allowed to return.
  • Explain to your teen before the party that you are legally responsible for anything that happens to a minor who has been served alcohol in your home and that uninvited guests or those bringing in alcohol or other drugs will be asked to leave.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

After School Hours Are Dangerous For Teen Drivers

Most parents only really get concerned about their teen driver children when they head out on the road at night. And rightfully so. That is a very dangerous time. But a recent study shows that the time right after school is also are very high risk time for teen drivers.

This study by AAA indicates that weekday afternoon driving time is just as dangerous for teens as night driving. The researchers studied the number of fatal crashes involving teens between 2002 and 2005. They found that 16 and 17 years olds were involved in almost as many fatal crashes between 3 and 5 pm on weekdays as they were on Friday and Saturday nights between 9 pm and 2 am. There were 1100 weekday fatal accidents and 1237 weekend evening fatal accidents.So what can you as a parent do about this?

Well, here are several suggestions:

1. Establish some specific driving rules with your teen. Be consistent in enforcing both the rules and the consequences when the rules are broken.

2. Impose an absolute ban on cell phone use while your teen is driving. Don’t call them yourself when you know that they are driving.

3. Require that your teen use a seatbelt any and every time they are traveling in any vehicle whether as a driver or a passenger. You must do the same to reinforce the importance of this.

4. Don’t allow your teen driver to carry passengers during the first 3 months or more of driving. Let them get used to being out there on their own before they add the distractions of passengers.

5. Don’t permit your teen to ride with other teen drivers. I know this will be a hard sell in these times of high gas prices but until you know just how safe the other teen driver is, you really should not permit your child to ride with him or her.

6. Make your rules known to other adults in your teen’s life. This can help provide an extra set of eyes when you are not around.

7. Install a GPS monitoring system in your child’s car. When they know that you are watching all of the time, their driving habits will be safer.

To get more safety tips and to find out how you can get a GPS tracking system installed in your child’s car for free, visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican or call my office at 256-765-2200.