Driver's Seat

Put Your Child Through The Paces - While You Are In The Car

2010-04-07T15:47:00.002-05:00

The Driver Education In-Car Training provided by our public school systems is really only a starting point for teaching your teen to drive safely. I recommend no less than 100 hours driving time for your child with a parent in the passenger seat before you let them out on his or her own. One thing that you should do when teaching your child how to drive is teach them how to deal with stressful and dangerous situations while you are there to talk them through it. For example, I advise that you take them to an abandoned, low traffic road and with them observing in the passenger seat, you drive off the road and talk them through the process of getting the car back on the road in a safe manner. Too often, young drivers faced with this situation will over correct and jerk the wheel too forcefully. This can lead to losing control of the vehicle. Let them gain experience with this type of emergency maneuver while you are teaching and talking them through it. When you feel that they are ready, have them drive off the road and bring the car safely back onto the road. Another great learning experience is 5:00 traffic. They are going to have to drive it eventually; don't you want to make sure that you have taught them how before they tackle it on their own? Make it a point, when you think they are ready, to have them drive in stressful traffic situations, including traffic to and from ball games and concerts. If they have done this with you in the passenger seat, then when they are driving with a distracting friend in the seat beside them, they stand a much better chance of handling safely. Try to think of any other situations that might require your help and seek those out while you are still training them. We hope you strive to teach your child safe driving habits from vehicle maintenance to traffic lights, to highway safety and even map reading.

Teaching Your New Driver Vehicle Orientation and Maintenance

2010-03-16T14:59:00.002-05:00

Before starting to drive perform a quick safety check of the vehicle. Now is a good time to have a brief discussion about vehicle maintenance. Explain basic maintenance items such as when oil changes are due and proper tire inflation. Verify that all lights and turn signals are functioning properly and free of obstruction.

Safety Tips to Pass on to your Teen Driver:

For emergency purposes, teach your teen to keep at least 1/4 tank of gas in their car at all times. You do not want them running out of gas in an unsafe area. Additionally, you will avoid the frustration of having to unexpectedly stop for gas when your teen has been driving your car.
Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars.
Familiarize you teen with the location and operation of the vehicle controls. It is important that your teen is comfortable in the driver's seat. Today's newer cars are capable of adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator. Review proper operation of the heater, air conditioning, cruise control and wiper blades.
Explain the dashboard gauges and their purpose. Taking the time to explain the gauges will help maintain the vehicle in proper working condition. Furthermore, it may save you a large repair bill. After all, the time for your teen to understand the temperature gauge is not after the car has overheated. A good habit to form is maintaining a mileage log. The log should detail the date, miles on the vehicle, the number of gallons of gas added and the miles per gallon obtained on the prior tank of gas. When the gas mileage decreases it is an early warning signal that the engine needs maintenance.
It is strongly recommended that you have your teen change a tire before he/she obtains their license. With the prevalence of cell phones, many parents assume their teen can all them or AAA for assistance. Depending on the location and time of day, it may take 2-3 hours before assistance can arrive.
Tire jacks can be very confusing and hard to deal with if you are new using them. Practice using tire jacks with your teen. Make sure you show he/she proper use and "placement of the jack." If used incorrectly, tire jacks could cause injury or even death. People die every year from car jacks being used improperly. And don't forget to show your teen how to chock the tires.
it is very dangerous to change a tire on the highway. Call the state police to assure drivers move over and the safety of your teen.
Maintain an emergency kit in the trunk, complete with: flares, a flashlight, and batteries. Practice using the flares also.

The Benefits of Teen Driving Courses and Driver Education

2010-03-10T13:37:00.003-06:00

Teen drivers account for most of the accidents on roadways today, statistics claim. This raises insurance prices, liability, and even may result in teens losing their license from poor driving. The goal in driving courses and driver education is to give teens the knowledge necessary to firstly pass the driving test on exam day, but also keep them safe with important safety tips and procedures.

Monetary Benefits of Driver Education Courses

Many insurance companies allow for reduced prices in insurance costs to teens who have taken driver's education classes. This usually requires that the child pass with an impressive grade. Other insurance companies offer families video tapes and written tests of common safety tips in driving. If teens do well on these exams, they can get a huge break in insurance expenses.

The improved safety knowledge while driving also makes teens less prone to accidents and wrecks. This keeps insurance rates as low as possible, since wrecks often make insurance rates skyrocket. Sadly, even getting in a wreck in which the teen driver was not at fault can raise insurance prices, so teens should be aware of other drivers driving recklessly on the road.

Driver's education also stresses that obeying the speed limit and driving with caution is the best way to go. This helps save on tickets or other violations that can cost hundreds of dollars. It also produces less strain on vehicles, in which they would otherwise be pushed to the limit by excessive speeds or reckless maneuvers. With less strain comes longer life, which means less money spent on vehicles.

Exam Preparation of Driver Education Courses

Another good benefit of driver's education courses is that it helps prepare students for the exam both written and hand-ons.

The written exam differs from state to state, but it can often be very tough. It forces students to memorize driving laws, signs, and other types of related driver's education laws. The failure rate is usually somewhat high, even with studying. The problem is that teens don't get enough hands-on practice before taking the written exam. Actions are much more memorable than words in a book, so this is often overlooked as a huge benefit to driver's education courses.

The hands-on exam gets even more benefit in pass rates, since it actually demands that students put their knowledge to use. In this case, only experience behind the wheel can get the student in shape to pass the driving test. Parents are required to take students out for a specified amount of hours before taking the test, but not every parent is a good driving coach. This is where driver's education courses shine, since there will be no yelling, drama, or hardships that commonly plague parent-child excursions.

Final Thoughts on Driver's Education Courses

Enlisting a teen into a driver's education course is a smart decision. Not only is there monetary benefit, which is always nice, but the odds that the teen will pass the driver's test will be much higher. This is nice, since not every parent can afford to take off work multiple times in case their children don't pass the exam.

As with everything, passing the written and hands-on driving tests handed out by each state will require determination and perseverance. Don't be discouraged by the amount of information to remember and put to use. Enrolling in a driver's education course will assuredly provide all the necessary experience to get on the right track.

Talk to Other Parents

2010-03-08T16:12:00.002-06:00

Talking to other parents of teens lets you discuss what's worked and what hasn't. It's a way of sharing experiences with someone facing the same issue as you. Here are some ideas for discussing teen safe driving with other parents:

Find out what rules and consequences other parents have established and share your own. (you'll be able to see real-life examples as you fill out each section of the Allstate Parent-Teen Driving Contract.) Talk about driving rules with other parents the same way you'd talk about parties, alcohol use or curfews.
Talk to other parents in your community about setting common driving rules. It's much easier to be an effective parent when you have support of other parents in your community.
Ask other parents how they coach their teens, what do they say to their friends if they think those friends are not driving safely? Or if a friend is drinking and driving?
Work together to help make sure all teens in your community are safe. Have an agreement with other parents to take away a teens car keys, call the parents, call a taxi or allow the teen to sleep over if they shouldn't be driving. And agree that none of you will let a teen leave your house and get behind the wheel if you suspect they've been drinking.
Get teen driving on the agenda at the next parent-teacher meeting at school.

For more help on teen driving safety, please visit my website at:

www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican

When the Weather is Frightful: How to Drive Safely

2010-03-04T13:28:00.005-06:00

Whether you have to drive in a thunderstorm, blizzard, or hurricane, most people find driving in bad weather stressful or even frightening. It's best to stay inside-but that isn't always possible. Here's how to stay safe when you have to drive.

- Maintain your vehicle

- Keep your battery in good condition

- Replace wiper blades every 6 months and check wiper fluid regularly

- Make sure brakes work properly

- Replace worn tires to prevent hydroplaning. Keep tires well inflated to improve vehicle control

General Driving Tips for bad weather

If you must drive in inclement weather, giver yourself plenty of time and follow these tips:

- Wear your seat belt - Use main roads

- Avoid using your cruise control

- Drive slowly and double your normal following distance

Thunderstorms

If you are driving a car with a hard top and are caught in a thunderstorm, you are safer staying in the car than leaving. Although you may be injured if lightening strikes your car, your vehicle's steel roof can help keep you safe as long as you don't touch metal. Contrary to popular belief, rubber tires will NOT protect you from lightening.

If you must drive:

- Turn on your low beams and slow down

- Avoid flooded roads and downed power lines

- Be extra cautious at intersections

- If you can't see, pull over to the side of the road

- If you pull over, use your flashers until the rain slows down

The same precautions apply to hailstorms. To protect your car from hail damage, pull into a parking garage or some other form of shelter until the hail ends.

Flooding

Flash floods can occur in minutes. If the waters begin to rise around your car, get out and move quickly to higher ground. Just 6 inches of water can enter your car and cause your engine to stall. A foot of water can make your car float- and 2 feet can sweep it away.

Fog

If you must drive in fog:

- Turn on your low beams. High beams reflect off the fog and make your visibility worse.

- Watch your speed. Driving in fog can make you think you're going slower than you really are.

- Stay in your lane and avoid passing.

- If you can, pull into a parking lot or some other area that is away from traffic

High Winds

Strong gusts of wind can blow your car off the road, especially on wide open stretches or bridges. Focus on staying in your lane. Also, be alert for fallen branches or debris.

Ice and Snow

- Don't drive until the streets have been plowed and salted

- Clear all snow and ice from your hood, trunk, and roof before driving to prevent it from flying off and striking your windshield or other vehicles. In some states, it's the law to do this.

- Clear off headlights, tail lights, and brake lights. Dirty headlights can cut your visibility in half. Uncleared tail lights and brake lights can cause accidents.

- Use extra caution on bridges and ramps.

- Drive Slowly.

- Keep your headlights on.

- Increase the space between your car and the car in front of you.

- Keep your car in low gear to prevent skidding.

- Don't use cruise control.

- Watch out for "black ice."

- Accelerate and brake slowly.

- If you start skidding, take your foot off the gas, switch into neutral and steer in the direction of the skid. Resist the temptation to brake, but if you have to and you have anti lock brakes, use steady pressure without pumping. If you don't have anti lock brakes, pump brakes gently.

Teen Driver Menace: Text-Messaging

2010-03-02T15:50:00.002-06:00

Did you know that nearly 50% of teens admit to texting while driving- an alarming statistic that now rivals driving and drinking in terms of danger and prevalence.

When it comes to teen driving, put the danger of text-messaging right up there with drunken driving as Public Enemies No. 1 and 1A on the nation's roads.

According to SADD ( Students Against Destructive Decisions), instant messaging and text-messaging while driving leads the list as the biggest distraction while driving. The study, released in 2007, which included 900 teens from 26 high schools nationwide, revealed that text-messaging while driving is becoming as dangerous as drinking and driving, in terms of inhibiting a teens driving abilities. Yet, even while 37% of teens rated text-messaging while driving as "extremely" or "very" distracting, they continue to send and receive messaging in their moving vehicles anyway.

Alarmingly, 46% of teens admitted that those who drive distracted are texting, according to a AAA study which appeared in several magazines in 2007. The crash statistics surrounding distractions in vehicles, such as cellphone use, are growing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted drivers account for almost 80% of all crashes and 65% of near-crashes in the United States.While most states have adopted or are adjusting legislation around teen driving, the restrictions of teen driving laws vary from state to state.

Based on the extensive research over the past several years, SADD have set forth a number of guidelines for families-including preventing cell phone use in the car.

Interestingly, 52% of teens who say their parents are unlikely to follow through on punishment if they are caught text-messaging while driving, compared to 36% of teens who believe their parents would penalize them, according to the SADD.

Not surprisingly, the study also reports the biggest influence on how teens drive is their parents. Almost two-thirds of high school teens say their parents talk on a cell phone while driving; almost half say their parents speed and almost a third say their parents don't wear a safety belt.

After School Hours Are Dangerous For Teen Drivers

2010-02-24T14:33:00.002-06:00

Most parents only really get concerned about their teen driver when they head out on the road at night. And rightfully so, it is a dangerous time. But a recent study shows that the time right after school is also a 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 year old's 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 1,100 weekday fatal accidents and 1,237 weekend evening fatal accidents. So what can parents 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 they are driving. 3. Require your teen to use a seat belt any and every time they are traveling in any vehicle whether 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 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 teens 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 website at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican

Lack of Sleep Disrupts Teen Driving

2010-02-22T15:45:00.002-06:00

A new study shows that poor sleep quality and being sleepy while driving significantly increases adolescents' risk of motor vehicle accidents. Researchers found adolescent drivers were twice as likely to have had a crash if they experienced sleepiness while driving or reported having bad sleep. Eighty of the 339 students that were involved in this study had already crashed at least once and fifteen percent of them considered sleepiness to have been the main cause of the crash. Fifty-six percent of the students who had at least one previous crash reported driving while sleepy, compared with thirty-five percent of subjects who had not been in a crash. The students were between the ages of 18 and 21 and fifty-right percent of them were male. Questions concerned lifestyle habits, nocturnal sleep habits, symptoms suggesting sleep disorders, and a subjective report of daytime sleepiness. Driving habits and sleepiness at the wheel were evaluated by questions assessing the frequency and timing of car use and accidents, the perceived causes of vehicle crashes and the respondents' coping methods for dealing with sleepiness while driving. Results show students suffered from chronic sleep deprivation. Although they reported that their sleep need was a mean of 9.2 hours per night, the students reported sleeping for an average of only 7.3 hours on weeknights. Only six percent of students slept nine hours or more on weeknights, and fifty-eight percent tried to catch up by sleeping nine hours or more on the weekends. Sleep problems were commonly reported by the students. Forty-five percent woke up at least once during the night with trouble falling asleep again, forty percent complained of difficulties in the morning awakening and nineteen percent reported bad sleep. The combination of chronic sleep loss and poor sleep quality had a negative effect on their alertness, as sixty-four percent of participants complained of excessive daytime sleepiness. This study emphasizes the need for education programs that target adolescents with information about improving sleep habits, the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation.

Making Your teen a "Smart Driver"

2010-02-17T14:30:00.003-06:00

Good parents want their children to be able to tackle all of life's challenges. Learning to drive is among the most important of those challenges. Parents need to play an active role in the process. Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving when kids are young - and keep talking to them before, during and after the licensing process to ensure they learn successful, safe driving skills. Give these discussions the same priority as you would discussions about smoking, sex or drugs. Don't rush things. Just because your teen has a permit or license doesn't mean they're ready for every driving condition. Practice with them in empty parking lots or on side streets. Practice at night, in traffic and in adverse weather conditions. Keep in mind that if they do have an accident, it might not be their fault. The fact is, our brains are still developing through the teenage years and don't reach full maturity until our 20s. Make sure you're familiar with your state's laws (they've probably changed since you learned to drive). Many states have enacted laws to help new drivers get on-the-road driving experience under lower-risk conditions, protecting them while they are learning. Know what your state's requirements are and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your teen may drive. Practice what you preach. If you speed, roll through stop signs, make rude gestures at other drivers or chat on your cell phone behind the wheel, your teen is likely to do the same. For more help in teen driving safety, please visit my website at: www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.com

The 10 Most Lethal Driving Mistakes

2009-11-06T13:01:00.002-06:00

Most Lethal Driving Mistakes

From not buckling up to not getting enough shut-eye, here's a rundown of the 10 most common mistakes motorists make.

By Claire Martin of MSN Autos

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 37,313 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2008. If that isn't a reason to become a better driver, then we don't know what is.

In an ideal world, drivers would execute every road maneuver with precision and ease. Sadly, we do not live in a never-never land, and not everyone walks away from metal-to-metal mayhem. Truth is that drivers are not created equal. Some are too brash, others too conservative. Some are even downright clueless. The common thread is that they can all turn a pleasant day on the motorway into a surreal nightmare in the blink of an eye.

And don't just blame it on "them." Everyone is guilty of making common driving mistakes that can endanger us all. Think about it: We'll bet you can recall with vivid exasperation a whole litany of stupid moves you've made throughout the years — some benign, some not so much. To help you stay safe behind the wheel, here's a list of 10 driving behaviors to avoid.

Swerving

The No. 1 fatal mistake made by drivers is perhaps the most simple: not staying in their own lane — i.e., running off the road or drifting into the adjacent lane. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007, 15,574 people died in crashes where the driver simply couldn't stay in the lane.

Driving While Drowsy

"Driving a vehicle when you are fatigued is as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs," National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said after a fatal highway accident in 2003 in which a college student who had been awake for the previous 18 hours was driving a carload of fellow students at 5 a.m. According to the NHTSA, in 2007 fatigued driving caused the deaths of 1,404 people, and more traffic fatalities occurred during the hours when most people are accustomed to being asleep (3 a.m. to 6 a.m.) than at any other time of day.

Drinking and Driving

Every 40 minutes someone dies in a drunk-driving accident. (In all 50 states, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more is considered illegal, but a little-known fact is that you can be charged with driving while impaired even if you're under the legal limit.) Young drivers are particularly prone to drinking and driving: The 21- to 34-year-old set is responsible for well over half of alcohol-infused fatal crashes. Not surprisingly, the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated is made most often at night and on the weekends. According to the NHTSA, 60 percent of drivers who died after dark in 2007 were legally drunk. Alcohol is also a factor in half of pedestrian traffic deaths — both drivers and pedestrians are the culprits.

Overcorrecting

You get panicky when the wheels of your SUV hit the rumble patch on the shoulder of the highway, so you throw the steering wheel in the opposite direction to get the vehicle back on the road. This is a classic example of overcorrecting or oversteering, and it's a particularly perilous maneuver when you're behind the wheel of an SUV driving on the highway at high speeds. Consider it a rollover waiting to happen. More than 4 percent of automobile fatalities a year occur because of drivers overcorrecting.

Discuss: What is the most dangerous thing you've done behind the wheel?

Speeding

Racing, driving faster than the posted speed limit or simply going too fast for road conditions — i.e., speeding — comprises the second highest cause of death in fatal crashes, according to the NHTSA. Once you hit 55 mph, you're in the danger zone: 30 percent of fatalities occur at 55 or above. The worst-case scenarios invariably involve speeding without wearing a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet. Fatality rates for speeding motorcyclists are shockingly high: In 2007, speeding was a factor in 36 percent of motorcycle fatalities. Of those, 41 percent of drivers and more than half of passengers were not wearing helmets (only 20 states and the District of Columbia require helmets).

Failure to Yield Right of Way

For drivers age 70 and above, failing to yield while merging into traffic is the top cause of crashes. In a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers 80 and older simply fail to see the other vehicle they should be yielding to. Drivers 70 to 79 see the vehicle but misjudge whether they have time to proceed ahead of it. Failure to yield right of way was the fifth leading cause of fatal crashes in 2007.

Your Teen's First Car

2009-10-29T14:18:00.002-05:00

I often get questions from my clients about the type of car they should buy for their teen. There is usually a great divide between the type of car the teen desires and what the parents are willing to buy from both a safety and cost perspective.

Choosing wisely will save you money on your insurance premiums and could even save your child's life. Officer Poer, who has many years experience investigating traffic accidents, provides some helpful guidance in his article below.

Perhaps you already have multiple cars, one of which your teen will be driving, and they don't meet the specifications below. If you can't afford another car, take steps to make the ones you have safer.

Particularly if these cars are sports cars, which by their design tempt everyone to speed, consider installing a monitoring system to help offset this temptation. You can learn more about the monitoring system we offer by contacting our agency or visiting our website.

I wish you and your family the best in health and happiness! P.S. Please feel free to call my office at 256-765-2200 if you have any questions or to find out how you can get the right protection at the lowest cost for your family.

The Best Car for Your Teen

2009-10-20T12:34:00.005-05:00

by Master Police Officer James Poer

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), "young novice drivers are at significant risk on the road because they lack both the judgment that comes with maturity and the skill that comes with experience." From my many years of experience investigating traffic accidents I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment and believe it is important for parents to do whatever they can to reduce the risks of driving for their teens.

The best car for your teen is the one that provides the greatest amount of safety. Instead of purchasing or letting your teen drive a large SUV (which has a higher center of gravity and thus is more likely to turn over) or a sports car, (which encourages speeding), select a midsize car no older than a 90's model, to make sure you get the best safety features (air bags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and mechanical seat belts).

Try to determine the crash test rating of a car before purchasing it. A few examples of cars that performed well in recent crash test ratings according to the IIHS and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are:

Chevrolet Impala
Ford Fusion
Honda Accord
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Passat

Additionally, make sure the car is reliable and in good mechanical condition. Choose a car that is easy and comfortable for the teen to drive. Make sure your child can reach all the features with ease. Take the time to make sure your teen understands all the features of the car before leaving the driveway.

How many times have you been distracted by searching for windshield wiper and light switches when driving a car that was new to you? Your teen is not prepared to handle these distractions well. So it is up to you to prevent them.

Fatal crashes involving young drivers are usually one-vehicle crashes and are often due to driver-error and/or speeding. Take the time to choose a safe car and do everything possible to reduce the chance of your teen making these mistakes.

Are You Negatively Impacting Your Teen's Driving Behavior?

2009-10-15T13:23:00.004-05:00

We read a lot about the reasons that teenage drivers are more likely to have accidents than older, more experienced drivers. Speed, over correction, and distractions in the car are cited as being some of the most frequent contributors to teenage driving accidents.

But, let’s take a moment to examine your teen’s state of mind when they get into the car, or while they are in it with you. To promote your teen’s safety behind the wheel, do your best to provide him with an emotionally supportive and safe environment at home. Angry or emotionally upset teenage drivers are more inclined to rebel through some form of wild behavior, such as speeding or reckless driving. Monitor your teen carefully before allowing him to drive if you know he’s upset.

Additionally, if you’re one of those committed parents who are providing driver training to your teenage child, you need to make sure you exhibit patience and control your reactions to their mistakes. Parents over reacting emotionally can be as dangerous as teenagers over correcting the car. Consider the following questions:

Does my teenage child know that it’s ok to make mistakes? Or does he think I’ll lose it if he does?
If he models my driving behavior, will he be safe? Or am I guilty of many of the actions I’m coaching him to avoid?
Is my teen too stressed to drive safely? Am I contributing to that stress?
Have I made my teenage driving expectations clear?
Does my teenager understand the consequences of breaking the teenage driving rules we’ve established?
Do I spend too much energy worrying about what could happen?

The more you worry about anything, the worse that situation becomes, because worry wears you down and makes you less effective. Even when it comes to parenting, our kids don’t need us to worry about them; they need us to believe in them. Believing in your child’s inherently positive potential supports his belief in himself, which is something he needs to accept responsibilities and overcome challenges.

For more information on how to keep your teen driver safe and for copies of teen/parent contracts visit our website www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican which is dedicated soley to helping parents help their teen drivers become safer drivers.

Ask Any Parent...

2009-10-09T14:48:00.002-05:00

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%.

You can learn more about ways to save on your insurance and how you can keep your teen safe by calling Toll-free at 866-765-2200.

Avoiding Road Rage

2009-09-30T07:39:00.005-05:00

Avoid Heated Moments Behind the Wheel Don’t Be a Victim – Or the Cause – of Road Rage

Road construction delays, soaring gas prices and traffic that seems to never let up are only a few reasons that spark moments of frustration and even aggression in drivers.

Aggressive drivers—those who tailgate, cut others off, run red lights, honk their horns, yell or make obscene gestures—are a danger to themselves and others. If you are an aggressive driver—or should you come into contact with one—your safety and that of your passengers and others on the road is seriously compromised.

Stress from off-the-road situations such as problems at work, the loss of a job, a divorce, or the death of a loved one can trigger road rage, even in a person who normally practices safe driving habits.

“Aggressive driving can affect anyone. Even drivers who are usually calm can get angry or frustrated and act out those feelings in dangerous ways,” says Allstate agent Bill Gough. “In addition, poor traffic conditions such as crowded roads and traffic jams can be the ‘last straw’ for a driver who is already stressed or upset.”

To protect yourself and others from the hazards of aggressive driving, Allstate recommends the following:

Don’t drive when angry—Take time to cool off. Go for a walk, breathe deeply, talk to someone, or, if you’re already driving, pull over and wait until your heart rate and breathing have slowed before getting back on the road.
Think positively about driving—Take pride in driving safely and always consider how your driving might affect others.
Chill out—Listen to soothing music, allow plenty of time to reach your destination, avoid traffic jams or choose less busy roads, and keep up with traffic and weather reports to learn of delays or hazards.
Give ‘em a break—If a driver goes too slowly, hesitates at an intersection, or annoys you in some other way, don’t loose your temper. The driver may have good reason for his or her behavior. When another driver is being aggressive, keep your cool.
Let it pass—Move to another lane when you can and let the other driver pass.
Avoid eye contact—The driver of the other vehicle may take your look as a challenge and become even more aggressive.
Go to a safe place if you are followed—Drive to the nearest police station, gas station, or other safe haven with plenty of people. If you have a cell phone, call the police with details or the incident – including the aggressive driver’s license plate number.

For more information on this or other safety topics, contact Allstate agent Bill Gough at 256-765-2200

IIHS Proposes Increasing Minimum Driving Age

2009-09-11T12:07:00.007-05:00

By Steve Shoutlz, Family and Teen Driver Protection Specialist The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety recently announced their proposal to increase the minimum driving age in all states in the US to age 17. Their reasons are solid and should help reduce the number of accidents involving teenagers. The Graduated Drivers License program that almost every state has adopted has proven to work. Numbers of teen driver accidents and fatalities have decreased every year since its inception. The GDL program basically adds more supervised driving experience for teens and restricts them from driving during the times when risk is highest. However, more than 5,000 teens are killed in car accidents every year! Although teens and many parents may not like this change, parents should understand that there are two primary reasons why 16 year olds are most likely to get into accidents- inexperience and immaturity. Parents can help their child get the experience by spending time supervising their teen behind the wheel. Maturity, on the other hand, can only come with age. The GDL program gives the teen more time for experience but it doesn’t address the problem of immaturity. 16 year olds have the highest crash rate and fatalities of any age group and it’s largely due to peer pressure and not realizing the dangers they face. 16 year olds tend to think they are invincible behind the wheel and when other teens in their car urge them to drive fast, they cave into such pressures much easier. Whether this proposal is passed in Alabama or not, there are steps parents can take to reduce the likelihood of their child causing an accident. Get a home study driving course and spend as much time possible teaching your teen the skills needed to drive safely. Delay the time before your teen gets a full license. This will help your teen mature and give you more time to supervise your teen’s driving. This will also show how serious you are about their safety. Get a GPS Teen Monitoring System. This will instantly reduce the likelihood of your teen driving dangerously. If your teen knows that you’ll be alerted, they will be less tempted to speed or break any other rules that you’ve set forth. Talk to your teen about the dangers. Communication is probably the most effective way to make your teen a safer driver. Share the statistics and the most common mistakes teens make. Then get a contract in writing that states that your teen understands the dangers and will follow the rules you have set forth. You can download a free parent/teen driver contract by clicking here: http://www.TeenDriverInsurance/AllAmerican

Teen Driver Fact...

2009-08-21T13:26:00.002-05:00

Nearly 9 out of 10 teens describe themselves as safe drivers. However, teen crash statistics clearly reveal risky driving behavior.

www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican gives parents the tools to open up a dialogue with their teen driver. As part of a comprehensive approach to safe driving, it's filled with valuable information for new and experienced drivers alike.

Ask any parent...

2009-08-07T14:13:00.002-05:00

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.

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.

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 calling Toll-free at 866-765-2200.

Developing Skills

2009-08-05T15:17:00.002-05:00

Driver education programs play a role in preparing teens to drive, but should not be viewed as the end of the learning-to-drive process. In order to develop safe driving skills, inexperienced drivers need opportunities to improve through gradual exposure to increasingly-challenging driving tasks. Teens become safer drivers with more driving experience.

In some states, the completion of driver education qualifies a teen for full driving privileges. The National Safety Council believes this is not a wise approach. Research shows that significant hours of behind-the-wheel experience are necessary to reduce crash-involvement risk. Parental involvement and state-imposed Graduated Driver Licensing play important roles in developing skills.

Teens May Avoid Tickets By Driving One of These Cars

2009-07-24T15:04:00.003-05:00

If you have a lead foot but are unwilling to quit playing "Speed Racer" on the highway, driving one of these least ticketed cars could help:

Jaguar XJ
Chevy Suburban
Chevy Tahoe
Chevy Silverado
Buick Park Avenue
Mazda 6
Buick Rainier
Olds Silhouette
Buick Lucerne
GMC Sierra

This list was complied from a study conducted by ISO (Insurance Services Office) Quality Planning.

16 Step Home Study Teen Driving Course Offered at No Cost to Parents

2009-07-21T14:09:00.002-05:00

16 Step Home Study Teen Driving Course Offered at No Cost to Parents

Washington, PA — Car accidents are the leading cause of severe injuries and death among teenagers all across the U.S. and inexperience is the leading factor in these accidents. “New drivers just don’t know how to react to dangerous situations that, many times, they get themselves into.” says Ret. Master Police Officer James Poer who has investigated car accidents for 30 years. “Education and most importantly, experience, is critical to helping kids learn how to avoid dangerous situations and how to react when they encounter dangerous situations.”

Driving school experts recommend 100 hours of behind the wheel experience before a teen drives unsupervised. Unfortunately, driving schools can’t provide this amount of experience. Depending on the state, schools are only required to give 4 to 6 hours of driving practice and with so many students in a class, schools simply cannot provide adequate experience. This places the responsibility on the parents.

One way to make the most of this time is to use a home study driving course. By following a structured lesson plan, parents can teach their teens the most important skills to driving safely and make the needed driving time most effective. The Society of Family Insurance Specialists (SFIS) has released a 16 step home study course, The Safe Teen Driver Guide, that provides parents a lesson plan and practice exercises to help them accomplish this important goal. Local insurance agent and family insurance specialist, Billy Proudfit of Proudfit Insurance in Washington helped co-author this guide along with Officer Poer and a certified driving school instructor.

Since learning that auto accidents are the number one cause of death among teens, Proudfit has been on a mission to help parents keep their teen drivers safe. His agency offers many tools including GPS teen driver monitoring systems, free reports with information that parents need to know about, Parent/ Teen Driver Contract, 101 Safety Tips for Teen Drivers and much more. “The Safe Teen Driver Guide is one tool that I have had a great response from.” says Proudfit. “Almost every parent that has received it is grateful for having such a great tool to help them teach their teen to drive.”

Check out the website at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican, or contact us at 256.765.2200 or 888.765.2201 for more details.

Developing Skills

2009-07-13T09:48:00.001-05:00

5 Ways to Help Protect Your Teen Driver and Yourself From the Dangers of the Road

2009-07-10T07:34:00.003-05:00

This 5 point action plan can help to protect your teen driver and yourself from the dangers of the road.

Create an Interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract: It's and easy way to talk to your teen about safe driving. This interactive experience offers statistics and advice from experts and other parents. The Allstate Parent-Teen Driving Contract can help you and your teen upon driving rules and the consequences of breaking them.
Prepare Your Teen driver: In a recent survey, 3 out of 4 teens said their parents are the biggest influence over how they drive. Not driving while on your cell phone, obeying traffic laws, and wearing a seatbelt are easy ways to lead by example.
Get Involved: Keep your teen safe on the road by learning about Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) laws in your state, help make those laws stonger, and educating yourself with the latest driving statistics.
Get Your Teen Involved: A knowledgeable teenager is a reponsible one. They can view videos about the impact of teen driving deaths here or learn all about the gravity of the teen driving epidemic at keepthedrive.com.
Protect Yourself: Before your teen gets behind the wheel, you should consider your insurance policy. Make sure you have the coverage that's right for you.

Top 5 Motor vehicle Insurance Fraud Schemes in 2008

2009-07-08T13:57:00.002-05:00

A recent IA&B newsletter reports that 2008 statistics show a 30% fraud increase in Pennsylvania. The Top 5 motor vehicle insurance fraud schemes include:

Falsely claiming injury from staged motor vehicle insurance accidents.
Falsely claiming that your car was stolen.
Driving without insurance, having an accident, buying insurance and lying about when the accident happened.
Falsely claiming your car was hit while parked and unattended.
When an accident was caused by someone listed as an "excluded driver" on an auto policy, falsely claiming that someone else was driving.

Head-on Collision Leaves Families Grieving

2009-06-29T14:52:00.002-05:00

Steve Augello is the kind of dad who insisted his daughter call him whenever she left a place and again when she arrived. He’s the kind of dad who had the text messages “Where are you?” and “Call me when you get this message” saved as templates in his cell phone.So on Monday night, Allie, 17, called to say she was leaving play practice at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School to head home. Steve knew the trip should have taken 15 to 18 minutes.She never arrived...

We at Bill Gough's All American Agency have a lot of tools to help you protect your children please, please, please go read our free reports, and ask for our information that we provide you to help protect your kids.

Here is a link to the rest of the article written by Molly Moorhead.ftp://mostftp.gotdns.com/Head-ONCollision.pdf

Teens and Cell Phones

2009-06-26T14:03:00.005-05:00

People don't want to be inaccessible for even 15 minutes driving up the street," said Harrison, 19, a sophomore at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. "They're so used to being accessible all the time.

"Targeting inexperienced motorists, several states have passed laws during the past five years restricting cell phone use by teenage drivers.

But a recently released insurance industry study looked at whether teens are ignoring such restrictions contends enforcement and parental influence are just as important as new laws. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety studied specific state laws which fine motorists under age 18 who are caught using a cell phone.

Researchers who watched as high school students left school found that teenage drivers used their cell phones at about the same rate both before and after the laws took effect.

"Cell phone bans for teen drivers are difficult to enforce," said Anne McCartt, the institute's senior vice president for research and an author of the study. "Drivers with phones to their ears aren't hard to spot, but it's nearly impossible for police officers to see hands free devices or correctly guess how old drivers are."

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, according to the government's auto safety agency, and teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

The institute says 17 states and the District of Columbia have cell phone restrictions in licensing requirements for teen drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board in 2003 recommended that states limit or bar young drivers from using cell phones, leading many states to act.

Harrison, who serves with Students Against Destructive Decisions, an advocacy group focused on highway safety issues, said few of her friends know about laws banning cell phone use by novice drivers.

Bill Bronrott, a Maryland state delegate who sponsored a successful bill in 2005 prohibiting rookie drivers under 18 from using cell phones, except to make 911 emergency calls, said a "combination of education and enforcement" was critical. So, too, parental involvement. Added Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association: "What these kinds of laws do is send the message to the parent more than anything else."

In the North Carolina study, researchers found that 11 percent of teenage drivers observed departing 25 high schools during the two months before the ban took effect were using cell phones. About five months after the ban took effect, during the spring of 2007, nearly 12 percent were observed using phones.

In North Carolina, 37 citations were issued in 2007 by the state highway patrol to teens using a cell phone while operating a vehicle. Twenty-eight citations have been issued in 2008.

Selena Childs, executive director of the North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force, said in an e-mail that with many child safety laws in the state, "knowing that it's against the law is enough for many people to choose to comply with a law."

Childs said the state's driver's license system for young drivers has been effective "not so much because of law enforcement/citations, but because parents and teens self-enforce the law, resulting in reduced crashes."

Matt Sundeen, a transportation analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures, said many state laws on cell phones are new, making it difficult to assess their impact. He said more states are considering similar restrictions.

The institute conducted two separate telephone surveys: the first, before the cell phone restriction took effect, was in November 2006 and involved 400 pairs of parents and teenagers; the second, after the law had taken effect, was in April 2007 and involved a different sample of 401 pairs of parents and teenagers. Each survey had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Teen Drivers at Risk

2009-06-24T08:25:00.008-05:00

I came across this article today and thought I would share it with you. This article is from a journalist that is adament about making people aware of the growing problem of teen driver deaths in this country.

Teen driver deaths and injuries litter our country's automotive landscape like a junkyard of wasted lives. No driver safety problem plagues us more than this one. Too many young drivers are dying. In spite of the safety advances of the last few decades -- seatbelts, airbags, improved crash standards -- teen driver death rates remain unacceptably high.

What can be done?

We find no automotive-related topic more pressing, no need more urgent. We intend to lay it bare, folks, to get at the root of this problem.

The teen driving crisis goes beyond our interest in accident rates and fatalities and runs to the very core of American identity. Since the post-World War II boom, we've flooded our freeways with metal, crowded them with chrome. Mobility -- that magic elixir of freedom, spiked with gasoline, peppered with burnt rubber -- defines Americans not only to ourselves but to the rest of the world.

It is in those communities, in those families, that the phone call comes one night, against all logic and all hope: a child has died behind the wheel of a car. In smaller communities, an officer might come to the house, hat in hand, knocking on the screen door on an otherwise peaceful evening.

This call frequently occurs in several homes at the same time, for young drivers increasingly die in groups.

Case in point: A couple of years ago, in a suburb of Los Angeles, an entourage of several cars loaded with young people bolted down the Antelope (14) Freeway. The 14 runs north-south, a main commuter artery connecting the upper desert communities of Palmdale and Lancaster to Los Angeles. Anyone who has driven this freeway knows to watch their downhill speed when traveling southward, not just for law enforcement concerns but to keep their velocity in check. These students apparently didn't.

They were on their way to an amusement park, dodging in and out of traffic, driving recklessly. Several of the passengers had neglected to attach their seatbelts. One of the cars lost control and rolled off the freeway. Five young people died.

Statistics are a good place to start, since they give us a picture of what's happening. We've included a few sobering facts below from NHTSA. We tried to pare down this list, but they all seemed so important that we've included them all.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers.
In 2001, 5,341 teens were killed in passenger vehicles involved in motor vehicle crashes. Two thirds of those killed were not buckled up.
When driver fatality rates are calculated on the basis of estimated annual travel, teen drivers (16 to 19 years old) have a fatality rate that is about four times higher than the fatality rate among drivers 25 through 69 years old.
In 2001, 3,608 drivers 15 to 20 years old were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and an additional 337,000 were injured.
Young drivers (16-20) were involved in 7,598 fatal crashes in 2001.
In the last decade, over 68,000 teens have died in car crashes.
Sixty-five percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving.
In 2001, 26% of fatally injured teen drivers (16-20 years old) had high blood alcohol concentrations (0.08 percent or more), even though all were under the minimum legal drinking age and are not legally permitted to purchase alcohol.
Two out of three teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes are males.

Whatever we may feel about reckless driving and teen fatalities, it's clear that the system is broken. The relationship between new drivers and their transportation needs repair.

Those repair efforts begin with something we find woefully lacking in most states throughout the Union: adequate driver training.

Unless a young person gets early exposure to the physics of an automobile, and understands the forces that play upon it, we believe the death toll will remain too high.

If you would like to view this article visit http://www.edmunds.com/advice/womenfamilies/articles/44908/article.html

We at Bill Gough's All American Agency believe in preventing teens from being just another statistic. Give us a call at 888-765-2201 or come by our office to talk about our Teen Driver Safety Program. For more information visit www.teendriverinsurance.com/AllAmerican.

Product Recalls - How Can You Keep Up?

2009-06-17T13:29:00.003-05:00

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will point to the growing number of product recalls and tell you that their system of oversight is working. But consumer compliance with recalls is often as low as 15%. Are people just not getting the message? Is it just too much of a hassle?

There are lots of reasons; many recall notices are low tech and require the consumer to discover the recall on their own, some recalls require the consumer to disassemble the product and ship it back and let’s face it, few people will go to that trouble for a large item. Of course many products are bought used at yard sales and on ebay and those consumers have no connection with the manufacturer so they will never be notified of a recall.

Recent changes signed into law by President Bush will help this problem a bit but really more steps are needed. Much of the manufacturing rules are voluntary and the ways that the manufacturer is required to notify the consumer is often not efficient. So what can you do to protect yourself and your family from using a dangerous or defective product?

Well one way is to check the recalls yourself. You can sign up for automatic alerts from the Consumer Product Safety Commission by going to www.cpsc.gov. Another site that has a broad range of recalled product is www.recalls.com. If you suspect a specific product of having a recall posted, you can visit the retailer or the manufacturer’s web site for this information.

At Bill Gough's All-American Agency in Florence, Al, we want all consumers to be informed and safe. There are hidden dangers in every insurance policy that you purchase as well. Insurance is not a do it yourself product, please get help from a licensed professional agent. If we can be of any help to you with any of your insurance policies from car insurance to home insurance or life insurance or business insurance, please call our office toll free at 866-765-2200.

Stressed?

2009-06-15T07:52:00.003-05:00

You barely went to bed and already your alarm is going off.Actually, it went off 30 minutes ago, and now you are stuck rushing through the shower (or deciding you won’t take one), fishing for clothes and your bag, and finding your keys. Out the door you are – which shouldn’t have taken more than 5 minutes, yet it’s already 10 minutes later! Darn!! Out the driveway you go and find yourself “stuck” behind the car in front of you, who is “only” doing the speed limit. And time is ticking …

Stress can come from various sources – school, work, friends, family, girlfriends, boyfriends… you name it. The trick is to learn to deal with stress, especially on the road. Most everyone who’s on the road is on some, more or less, important mission. And most everyone would like to get their mission done a.s.a.p. Not everyone will pay attention to you and your mission!!! So:

Take a deep breath, have your favorite music playing, and take some comfort in knowing that you are above it all. Speeding and other kinds of frenzied behavior = not cool.
Be nice. Got cut off? Someone tailgating you? Refer to Point 1, above, – and do your best to let it go. Focus on your driving and don’t push. Honking, signaling, or reacting to aggressive behavior will not teach anyone a lesson. People will ignore you – or, worse, you will provoke road rage. Not worth it. You just want to get to your destination - safely.
Don’t speed. Speeding is the number one reason for accidents that involve (and kill) teen drivers. Even going 20% faster than the limit won’t save you more than a minute or two. Apologize if you are late – people will understand. And try to leave earlier next time…
Treat yourself well. Make time for things that you enjoy doing, even if you have only 5 minutes. It will help you deal with everyday life, and relieve stress.You deserve it!

Top 5 Motor Vehicle Insurance Fraud Schemes in 2008

2009-06-12T14:43:00.003-05:00

A recent newsletter reports that 2008 statistics show a 30% fraud increase in Pennsylvania. The Top 5 motor vehicle insurance fraud schemes include:

1. Falsely claiming injury from staged motor vehicle insurance accidents.

2. Falsely claiming that your car was stolen.

3. Driving without insurance, having an accident, buying insurance and lying about when the accident happened.

4. Falsely claiming your car was hit while parked and unattended.

5. When an accident was caused by someone listed as an "excluded driver" on an auto policy, falsely claiming that someone else was driving.

Why You Want To Keep Your Teen Driver On YOUR Policy

2009-06-10T13:36:00.002-05:00

One of the options that parents consider in order to save money on their auto insurance, is placing the young driver on a separate policy. They think if they buy a separate policy for their teen driver, the rates for their other cars won’t go up.

Actually, that part may be true. But the flipside is that on a separate policy, the rate for the teen driver’s car goes way up for two reasons:

First, there won’t be a multi-policy discount for the single car on the teen’s policy

Second, you will have to buy a policy from a “high-risk” insurer. “High-risk” insurance companies charge rates that are more than double of a standard company.

Not only that. Placing your teen on a separate policy can cost you much more than higher rates. The most dangerous problem when insuring your teen with a high-risk insurance company is that you can’t buy high enough limits for a teen driver. The liability limits offered by these companies are usually no higher than 100/300/50, that means $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident and $50,000 for property damage.

Some parents think that’s fine - that in case of a big claim, the other party will only sue their child’s insurance company if there’s a big claim. That's wrong! Any good attorney will go after the parents too, as long as the child is living in the parent’s home or is a dependent. The smartest way to insure your young driver is to keep them on your own auto insurance policy, with the highest liability limits you can get.

"All I have Is Photos - And Memories," Crash Victim's Mom Says

2009-05-29T16:16:00.002-05:00

Monday morning was another tragic day for Tampa Bay Familes, When two seperate Accidents invovling Teen Drivers have left Three Dead. It pains me as I read the paper this morning about two seperate accidents, which could have been advoided.

In the first accident: A 15 year old was driving at 12:10 in the morning, and None of the teens had on seat belts, troopers said.

The second accident a 19 year old who was under the influence struck a pole at 4:30am. Three people were ejected from the car and one was trapped in the rear seat.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/04/2-teen-drivers-die-plant-city-wreck/?news-metro

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/04/dui-charged-crash-left-1-life-support

You Just Erased Your Memory Card - Relax, All Is Not Lost

2009-05-27T14:38:00.006-05:00

Uh Oh, I just accidentally erased my photos on my memory card. I had this experience recently and I want you to know that you can probably still recover your photos. In my case my wife and I had driven over to my daughter’s friend’s house where 7 teenage couples were gathered in full evening dress for their prom. An entire row of parents stood in front of the kids for 15 minutes, cameras clicking and flashes going off. If you have had teenagers you probably know the ritual. So wiping out these photos is pretty bad. You’re not going to get those teenage boys to dress up in suits and stand in front of the camera again for you. But if you know what to do and in the right order, you can usually recover your lost photos.

A week or so later my wife came to me distraught that she had accidentally erased all the photos on her camera's memory card, including these precious prom photos. I searched the internet and found to my surprise that these photos were not lost forever.

To understand why, you just need to understand how the memory space on these cards works. Generally, when you delete a photo or file from a memory card, the space is made available for another photo or file to be stored there. But, until you take more photos to cover over this space, you can still recover those deleted files and photos. To do so, you will need to purchase a software program on the internet and download it to your computer. There are many services out there and below I have listed some web sites that I found that sell these programs. The one I used was Card Recovery which is the first on this list, but you may find one that does the job better and is cheaper. In our case we saved the prom photos and since that time my daughter has made the same mistake with her camera's memory card and she was astonished that Dad could miraculously save the day for her. It’s good to be the hero every now and again, especially with teenagers.

Here are a few sites that can help you recover erased files from a memory disk.

www.CardRecovery.com

www.pctools.com

http://www.powerdatarecovery.com

We at Bill Gough's All American Agency want you to be Completely Satisfied with our Agency to earn your support to Renew YOUR Insurance Policies.

We also want to earn your support in Recommending our Agency to your friends and family.

If we at anytime fail to meet the above needs please contact us at once so we may correct this situation.

You are the reason our Agency exists and we Thank You!

How to Prevent Teens From Speeding

2009-05-20T08:48:00.003-05:00

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.

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!

For more information please visit us at http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/allamerican.

The 10 Most Lethal Driving Mistakes

2009-05-18T08:28:00.003-05:00

Most Lethal Driving Mistakes

From not buckling up to not getting enough shut-eye, here's a rundown of the 10 most common mistakes motorists make.

By Claire Martin of MSN Autos

To help you stay safe behind the wheel, here's a list of 10 driving behaviors to avoid.

Swerving

Driving While Drowsy

Drinking and Driving

Overcorrecting

Discuss: What is the most dangerous thing you've done behind the wheel?

Speeding

Failure to Yield Right of Way

Teaching Your New Driver Vehicle Orientation and Maintenance

2009-05-15T11:16:00.003-05:00

Safety Tip: For emergency purposes, teach your teen to keep at least ¼ tank of gas in the car at all times. You do not want them running out of gas in an unsafe area. Additionally, you will avoid the frustration of having to unexpectedly stop for gas when your teen has been driving your car.

Safety Tip: Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars!Familiarize your teen with the location and operation of the vehicle controls. It is important that your teen is comfortable in the driver’s seat. Today’s newer cars are capable of adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator. Review proper operation of the heater, air conditioning, cruise control and wiper blades.

Safety Tip: Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars!

Explain the dashboard gauges and their purpose. Taking the time to explain the gauges will help maintain the vehicle in proper working condition. Furthermore, it may save you a large repair bill. After all, the time for your teen to understand the temperature gauge is not after the car has overheated! A good habit to form is maintaining a mileage log. The log should detail the date, miles on the vehicle, the number of gallons of gas added and the miles per gallon obtained on the prior tank of gas. When the gas mileage decreases it is an early warning signal that the engine needs maintenance.

Safety Tip: Tire jacks can KILL! Practice with them the proper use and ‘placement of the jack”. People die from this every year. Don’t forget to show them how to chock the tires.

Safety Tip: It is very dangerous to change a tire on the highway. Call the state police to assure drivers move over and the safety of your teen.

Safety Tip: Maintain an Emergency kit in the trunk complete with: flares, a flashlight and batteries. Practice lighting flares.

Insurance Tip: Roadside Service is part of the Teensurance Program from Safeco. Help will be dispatched to help change tires or even deliver gas!

Hope this helps your family and brings everyone home safely!

Please call our office anytime with any questions 256-765-2200.

Tears For My Friends

2009-05-12T15:24:00.003-05:00

Tears for My Friends

By Debbye Butler

I have a friend named Jeannette. She had a daughter and a son, until October 1986. Her daughter tested the odds of the effects of alcohol on her motor skills and judgment versus her knowledge about the roads with which she was so familiar.

The alcohol won.

Cindy never saw her 21st birthday. Jeannette, however, has to live through every one of her daughter’s candles-and-cake days — wondering what her daughter would look like now and what she would be doing with her promising life.

Both of my friends are incredibly loving people and responsible parents. They were looking forward to graduations, a son- or daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. But they have been cheated out of some of the best and most meaningful adventures in life, and nothing or no one can change that cruel, crushing reality.

It’s hard for me to believe I would ever have personally known one family — much less two — that would have to live through this gnawing, once-it-happens-it-never-goes-away pain. And it’s even more difficult to know what to say to them. Hugs help. But they’ll never replace the hugs from the children who are gone because of alcohol.

When Bill was saying goodbye to his son during the funeral, he did the most loving, courageous thing that any parent could do in a situation like this. With a lump in his throat that must have felt like the size of a softball, he looked out at the stunned young faces of his son’s high school friends. He said he never wanted to have to come to a funeral for this reason again. He said, “Don’t drink and drive.”

Bill told me later he hoped he didn’t sound like he was preaching. Well … I hope he did. I hope everyone listened. And I hope everyone remembers.

Hey, Does The Air Bag In This Thing Work?

2009-05-07T09:09:00.004-05:00

If you’ve ever shopped for a used car you are probably a pretty savvy buyer after the experience was over. But did you check the air bag? It turns out that airbags are a quick and easy part for thieves to remove from the car. And since few buyers think to check for this part, most get away scott free.

So how do you know if the car you want to purchase still has an airbag? How do you determine if the airbag will still function correctly?

First of all, you should inspect the steering wheel for signs of tampering. Thieves often leave dings and dents in the interior plastic when they remove the airbags. Another thing you can do is watch the air bag indicator light when you turn on the car. It should glow briefly, then turn off. If the light never comes on, or if it comes on and stays on, then the air bag probably isn’t functioning correctly.

You can also visit the site, http://www.safercar.gov/, and type in the vehicle’s VIN or vehicle identification number to see if one of more of the airbags in the vehicle has been permanently deactivated. Click on “Air Bags”, then under “Air Bag Basics” on the left, click on “Air Bag – VIN number” to search the database. The data at this site may not be complete since the site relies on third parties to report whether an air bag has been removed or disabled. As a last resort, you can have a mechanic you trust inspect the car for air bags.

For the most part, air bags are an “out of site, out of mind” kind of issue. But since replacement could run from $600 to $800 it may be worth your while to consider this issue next time you shop for a used car.

We want you to be Completely Satisfied with our Agency to earn your support to Renew YOUR Insurance Policies. We also want to earn your support in Recommending our Agency to your friends and family. If we at anytime fail to meet the above needs please contact us at once so we may correct this situation. You are the reason our Agency exists and we Thank You! Check us out at www.teendriversinsurance.com/allamerican or call us at 256-765-2200.

Practice Is NOT Everything

2009-05-04T15:31:00.002-05:00

Practice, practice, practice and lots of supervised driving time is what gets him or her there.

But apart from the practical skills, there is a set of mental skills that you may consider teaching your teen driver:

Being an overly fearful or hesitant driver can sometimes be as dangerous as a go-getter, over-confident driver.
Driving in an upset, angry, or excited state of mind can be a as much a distraction as driving while talking on a cell phone.

As a parent, you want to build the right amount of driving confidence within your teen, and instill the ability to make the right decisions at the right time.

Talking with your teen, and offering positive reinforcement, can be a powerful tool in making your teen a safer driver. Don't hesitate to praise him or her for an exceptionally well-handled maneuver, or a flawless driving session. And in addition to providing clear rules - and consequences - you may try offering rewards for long stretches of ticket- and accident-free driving.

Tips for Prom Night

2009-04-30T10:04:00.003-05:00

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.

Teen Driver GPS Monitoring Systems

2009-04-28T08:55:00.007-05:00

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

5 Most Common Mistakes Teen Drivers Make

2009-04-24T09:21:00.003-05:00

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

Study Explains the Staggering Cost of Insuring Teen Drivers

2009-04-20T15:54:00.003-05:00

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.

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%.

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.

How to Prevent Teens From Speeding

2009-04-16T16:44:00.004-05:00

By Master Police Officer III James Poer

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.

Choosing A Driving Instructor

2009-04-14T14:54:00.006-05:00

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.

Your Teen Driver's Safety Is Your Responsibility

2009-04-08T14:12:00.006-05:00

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.

Hosting Teenage Parties

2009-04-06T15:15:00.002-05:00

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.

After School Hours Are Dangerous For Teen Drivers

2009-04-02T11:03:00.004-05:00

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.

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.

Tips for Good Teen Driving in Bad Weather

2009-03-31T11:21:00.005-05:00

Here are some tips to pass along to your teen driver as it's becoming more clear that summer is officially over... In rain...

Make it a point to turn on your lights whenever you have your windshield wipers on.
Double or even triple the amount of following space you leave between you and the car in front of you when weather is wet.
Brake gently
Accelerate slowly
Crack a window to keep your windshield from fogging up
Remember, bridges and overpasses freeze before roads do
Don't apply cruise control

In ice and snow...

If you're stuck in ice or snow and aren't able to gain traction, try placing the floor mats under the tired
If you back up into ice or snow, make sure your tailpipe is clear or you could get carbon monoxide poisoning
Make sure you have window washing fluid-- you may need it in the even of sleet or snow
Keep your pace steady and slow, but not so slow you become stuck in deeper ice/snow

In fog...

Stay to the right of the roadway
Turn on lowbeams
If you cannot see the roadway, pull clear off the road away from traffic. Turn on hazard lights and wait until visibility improves

In high winds...

It's best not to drive a van or other high profile type vehicle or to tow a trailer
If you're following behind a vehicle with a tow or trailer take extra precaution and keep your distance

It's also a good idea to keep an emergency pack in your car with ice scraper, a bag of sand/salt/cat litter, flares or triangles, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, jumper cables, nonperishable snacks, a candle and matches, a cup in case you have to melt snow for water, a shovel, gloves, a blanket, and even a pair of boots.

Thanks to www.teendriving.com

Making Your teen a "Smart Driver"

2009-03-27T13:42:00.003-05:00

Good parents want their children to be able to tackle all of life’s challenges. Learning to drive is among the most important of those challenges. Parents need to play an active role in the process. Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving when kids are young - and keep talking to them before, during and after the licensing process to ensure they learn successful, safe driving skills. Give these discussions the same priority as you would discussions about smoking, sex or drugs. Don't rush things. Just because your teen has a permit or license it doesn’t mean they’re ready for every driving condition. Practice with them in empty parking lots or on side streets. Practice at night, in traffic and in adverse weather conditions. Keep in mind that if they do have an accident, it might not be their fault. The fact is, our brains are still developing through the teenage years and don't reach full maturity until our 20s. Make sure you’re familiar with your state’s laws (they’ve probably changed since you learned to drive). Many states have enacted laws to help new drivers get on-the-road driving experience under lower-risk conditions, protecting them while they are learning. Know what your state’s requirements are and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your teen may drive. Practice what you preach. If you speed, roll through stop signs, make rude gestures at other drivers or chat on your cell phone behind the wheel, your teen is likely to do the same. For more help on teen driving safety, please visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.

Why Are Insurance Rates for Teens So High?

2009-03-24T09:12:00.004-05:00

As an insurance agent, this is probably one of the most frustrating questions I get from parents who are adding their teen to their car insurance. I understand this frustration and after I explain the reasons, they usually respond with "But, my teen is a good driver..." That may be true and you've probably spent countless hours helping your teen become a safer driver. If you have, then you should be glad that the chances of your teen getting into an accident will be less likely than most teens on the road, But let me emphasize...Less Likely Than Other Teens... not experienced drivers. It takes thousands of hours behind the wheel to get the experience to avoid accidents and become the safest of drivers. And this can take years. Here's a statistic to prove this point: The crash rate for 16 year old is nearly 3 times higher than 19 years and nearly 6 times higher than drivers 20 to 24 years old. Unfortunately, you are going to have to pay high rates for your teen to drive. But, you can take steps to avoid paying the highest rates and keep them down. Step One - Use an insurance agent that specializes in insuring teen drivers. Family Insurance Specialists represent companies that offer good rates but most importantly offer quality insurance protection that can help you avoid paying out of your own pocket for an accident. Step Two - Make sure you are getting every discount you deserve. Available discounts may include safe driver, claims-free, good grades, multiple policies with the same company, and in some states you can qualify for a lower rate by keeping a good credit rating. Step Three - Buy a safe, older, lower profile vehicle for your teen to drive. Make sure it has airbags and anti-lock brakes and is not considered a dangerous vehicle. Your Family Insurance Specialist can help you decide which vehicles are least expensive to insure. Step Four - increase your deductibles or drop the collision on older vehicles. If your teen is driving an older, less expensive car, you can "self insure" the car. That means of course, if something happens, you'll have to pay for the damages to your car, but it can save you a lot of money- nearly 1/3 to 1/2! Step Five - Get a Teen Driver Monitoring Device installed in your teens car. Some insurance companies offer special discounts for these systems. The greatest advantage of these systems is that this will most likely prevent your teen from speeding. Speeding tickets can greatly increase your insurance rates and jeopardize your insurance coverage. Insurance companies know that if a teen driver gets a speeding ticket, the likelihood of an accident in the near future is great. You could get cancelled and it may be more difficult to get another insurance company to pick you up.

Head-On Collision Leaves Families Grieving

2009-03-18T13:27:00.005-05:00

This is another case of two of Tampa Teen Drivers that have been killed in a car accident. We don't know what really happned yet. Where one of the drivers driving to fast? Where they distracted, talking on there phone, texting one of their friends? Are you concerned about your own children? We at Most Insurance have a lot of tools to help you protect your children please, please, please go read our free reports, and ask for our information that we provide you to help protect your kids. Also take a look at the Teen Driver GPS monitoring system. Here is a link to the rest of the article written by Molly Moorhead. ftp://mostftp.gotdns.com/Head-ONCollision.pdf

Put Your Teen Through The Paces Before Going Out On Their Own!

2009-03-16T12:07:00.004-05:00

The drivers education in-car training provided by our public school systems is really only a starting point for teaching your teen to drive safely. I recommend no less than 100 hours driving time for your child with the parent in the passenger seat before you let them out on their own. One of the things that you should do when teaching your child how to drive is teach them how to deal with stressful and dangerous situations while you are there to talk them through it. For example, I advise that you take them to an abandoned, low traffic road and with them observing in the passenger seat, you drive car the off the road and talk them through the process of getting the car back on the road in a safe manner. Too often, young drivers faced with this situation will overcorrect and jerk the wheel to forcefully. This can lead to them losing control of the vehicle. Let them gain experience with this type of emergency maneuver while you are teaching and talking them through it. When you feel that they are ready, have them drive off the road and bring the car safely back on to the road. Another great learning experience is 5:00 traffic. They are going to have to drive in it eventually; don’t you want to make sure that you have taught them how before they tackle it on their own? Make it a point, when you think they are ready, to have them drive in stressful traffic situations, including traffic to and from ball games and concerts. If they have done this with you in the passenger seat, then when they are doing with a distracting friend in the seat beside them, they stand a much better chance of handling this safely. Try to think of any other situations that might require your help and seek those out while you are still training them. We have a complete soup to nuts Teen Driver Training guide available to all of our insurance clients. This 47 page book will walk you through the process of teaching your child safe driving habits from vehicle maintenance to traffic lights, to highway safety and even includes a chapter on map reading. If you want to know more about this guide you can contact us by visiting our web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/insurancedude.

Rain or Shine - You'll Be Just Fine

2009-03-13T08:11:00.001-05:00

(if you follow these tips...) · Be sure that the windshield wipers on your car are in top shape. The rubber on windshield wipers wears and tears quickly. We recommend that you change the wipers at least once a year, or as soon as they leave streaks. · Keep the wiper fluid filled and make sure the sprayer works – mist and light rain combined with road dust leave grimy windows that are hard to see through – especially with glare. · Turn your headlights on every time you turn your wipers on – even if the sun is beaming through the clouds. You may not feel that you have better visibility – but your headlights help other people see you. · Slow down, and use your brakes gently. · If roads are wet, double or even triple the distance you normally leave between yourself and the next car. Braking distances can be up to TEN TIMES longer on wet roads, compared to dry roads. · Don’t use cruise control in wet or slippery conditions – it may react to slipping wheels by applying more throttle. · Know your brakes: If your car has ABS, press down firmly when you have to brake hard. If you DON’T have ABS, tap and release your brakes to keep your tires from locking up and the car from spinning out.

Teens and Cell Phones

2009-03-10T08:13:00.003-05:00

"People don't want to be inaccessible for even 15 minutes driving up the street," said Harrison, 19, a sophomore at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. "They're so used to being accessible all the time.

"Targeting inexperienced motorists, several states have passed laws during the past five years restricting cell phone use by teenage drivers.

Researchers who watched as high school students left school found that teenage drivers used their cell phones at about the same rate both before and after the laws took effect.

Harrison, who serves with Students Against Destructive Decisions, an advocacy group focused on highway safety issues, said few of her friends know about laws banning cell phone use by novice drivers.

Bill Bronrott, a Maryland state delegate who sponsored a successful bill in 2005 prohibiting rookie drivers under 18 from using cell phones, except to make 911 emergency calls, said a "combination of education and enforcement" was critical. So, too, parental involvement.Added Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association: "What these kinds of laws do is send the message to the parent more than anything else."

In the North Carolina phone survey, 95 percent of parents and 74 percent of teenagers supported the restriction. But 71 percent of teens and 60 percent of parents felt that enforcement was rare or nonexistent.In North Carolina, 37 citations were issued in 2007 by the state highway patrol to teens using a cell phone while operating a vehicle. Twenty-eight citations have been issued in 2008.

Please share your thoughts here to help keep our young drivers safe and alive!

Set A Good Example!

2009-03-05T10:00:00.002-06:00

When most teenagers reach about 14 years of age, they begin to think about driving. Obviously some children dream about this more than others but what is important to you as a parent, is how they might imagine themselves as a driver. Where do they get their persona as a driver? Where do they learn habits? The answer is, they learn a lot from watching you drive. They will pick up your good and your bad habits and that is why as a parent, you must really monitor your own driving while your young teens are in the car. You should begin to model good driving behavior and even talk about that behavior with your children. Here is a short list of the Don’ts: While your young teens are in the car, don’t: · Eat and drive. Make sure that they see you giving your full attention to your driving. · Talk on your phone while driving. I know this one is hard to break but when your child tries this while driving it is the equivalent of having them drink a few stiff ones and then try driving. It is also illegal in NC for a teen driver to use the phone while driving. · Run the yellow light. Teach your teens not to gamble with yellow lights. Their judgment is not as well developed as yours and this behavior can end in tragedy. · Follow too closely. This is something you shouldn’t do at any time but when your child is in the car they will get a sense for what is the correct following distance. Show them by leaving enough space between you and the car in front of you. · Drive aggressively. Again, they will model what you do. Teach them to be a courteous and respectful driver. It might make you late a few times but what is that to saving their life. · Speed. Your children should respect the speed limit. This will save them money in tickets and attorney’s fees, but it will probably also save their life. 33% of teen driver fatalities are due to excessive speed. Ok, enough with the negatives. Here are a few things you should do when your teens ride with you: · Always use your seatbelt. And always insist that all passengers wear theirs as well. · Use turn signals and practice “accurate” driving. Talk to your teens about this. · Keep your car maintained and the windshield clean. Also check for tire wear and tire pressure as well. · Come to a complete stop at all stop signs· Slow down in bad weather. Tell your teens that you are driving a bit slower and leaving more distance from the car in front today because the bad weather makes the driving that much more dangerous. These are just a few tips that you can use. I’m sure you can think of even more to help your child become a safer driver so that you can get through this time in your life without a tragedy.

Before Your Teen Takes Out The Car, Teach Then To Do A Safety Check.

2009-03-02T10:56:00.002-06:00

Before your teen begins driving, you should demonstrate fro them how to perform a quick safety check of the vehicle. Now is a good time to have a brief discussion about vehicle maintenance. Explain basic maintenance items such as when oil changes are due and proper tire inflation. Verify that all lights and turn signals are functioning properly and free of obstruction. Safety Tip: Minimum Gas Levels. For emergency purposes, teach your teen to keep at least ¼ tank of gas in the car at all times. You do not want them running out of gas in an unsafe area. Additionally, you will avoid the frustration of having to unexpectedly stop for gas when your teen has been driving your car. Safety Tip: Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars!Familiarize your teen with the location and operation of the vehicle controls. It is important that your teen is comfortable in the driver’s seat. Today’s newer cars are capable of adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator. Review proper operation of the heater, air conditioning, cruise control and wiper blades. Safety Tip: Dashboard Gauges! Explain the dashboard gauges and their purpose. Taking the time to explain the gauges will help maintain the vehicle in proper working condition. Furthermore, it may save you a large repair bill. After all, the time for your teen to understand the temperature gauge is not after the car has overheated! Another good habit to form is maintaining a mileage log. The log should detail the date, miles on the vehicle, the number of gallons of gas added and the miles per gallon obtained on the prior tank of gas. With many cars yo you can do this automatically by teaching your child to reset the gas mileage counter after each fillup. When the gas mileage decreases it is an early warning signal that the engine needs maintenance. Safety Tip: Changing Tires. I strongly recommend that you have your teen change a tire before he/she obtains their license. With the prevalence of cell phones, many parents assume their teen can call them or AAA for assistance. Depending on the location and time of day, it may take 2-3 hours before assistance can arrive. Safety Tip: Tire jacks can KILL! Practice with them the proper use and ‘placement of the jack”. People die from this every year. Don’t forget to show them how to chock the tires. Safety Tip: It is very dangerous to change a tire on the highway. Call the state police to assure drivers move over and the safety of your teen. Safety Tip: Emergency Kits. Maintain an Emergency kit in the trunk complete with: flares, a flashlight and batteries. Practice lighting flares.Insurance Tip: Roadside Service is part of the Teensurance Program from Safeco. Help will be dispatched to help change tires or even deliver gas! For more information on the Teensurance Program, visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/Clinard. I Hope this helps your family and brings everyone home safely!

"Trunking" - The Latest Danger to Teens!

2009-02-26T15:13:00.004-06:00

Just when you thought you've heard it all... As I was doing my research for this month's issue of my Driver’s Seat e-newsletter, I came across an article about the latest killer of teens. We all know that car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US. Now there is a trend going across the country that is adding to the danger of a teen behind the wheel and it's referred to as "Trunking". As a teen, I remember hearing about kids in school that would climb into a trunk to sneak into a drive-in movie. Of course, I would never partake in such an act. But today, now that the drive-in movie is obsolete, there's another reason why kids are doing this. Almost every state in the country now has laws limiting the number of passengers during the first few years of a teen driver's experience. These laws were passed to reduce the distractions in the car that have been proven to cause so many accidents. In order to circumvent these laws, kids are now packing themselves in the trunk of the car to be able to go with their friends. The worst part is that they will stay in the trunk while being driven all over town and even beyond. The dangers are obvious to us and include suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exposure, freezing, being crushed or thrown out of the car as a result of an accident. You can just imagine how dangerous this could be for your child. So what do you do? First explain the dangers and then define the consequences/punishment of this type of action. If your child is guilty, take away driving privileges and inform all the involved kids' parents of the act. You'll also want to pass this article on to other parents, just to let them know what kids are up to these days, so they can proactively counsel against it. To sign up for a free subscription to my e-newletter, Driver’s Seat, visit my website at www.teendriverinsurance.com/trianglenc and register for VIP Access. You’ll also be able to learn more about you can best protect your family.

Everything You Own is In Your Teen's Hands

2008-12-19T16:21:00.000-06:00

The moment your teen got behind the wheel for the first time, the chances of you being involved in a lawsuit increased significantly.

Since teens are 5 times more likely to cause accidents and the average cost of these accidents are 3 times higher than experienced drivers, there is a good chance your teen is going to cause a costly accident... one that can take away much of what you own. So, are you protected in the event something happens? As a family and teen driver protection specialist, I have helped hundreds of parents protect themselves from lawsuits. Parents of teen drivers have very special insurance needs and if we haven't addressed those needs yet, you may be at serious risk. Please call my office today (256-765-2200) and let's conduct a 21 Point Protection Review. This will reveal any gaps or lack of coverage that could leave you financially devastated.

Buckle Up! But Why?

2008-12-15T14:15:00.002-06:00

A seatbelt ticket will cost you $101 in the state of Washington. For such a high cost of a ticket, it would be safe to assume the issue has some importance!

Well, absolutely! The purpose of a seatbelt is to hold the passenger in place, holding them close to the vehicle to make them almost "one" to prevent being thrown forward in the event of a collision. The other option is not wearing a seatbelt. If the person is not wearing their seatbelt, the law of inertia proves that they will be thrown forward-- possible into the windshield or dashboard, (ouch.)

The flexible materials that make up seatbelts are meant to provide give-- more than the dashboard or windshield. And even though the seatbelt allows some give to conform to your body comfortably, the machinery involved tightens the belt to hold the passenger in place when the car decelerates quickly.

Did you also know, that having your seatbelt improperly installed is an even bigger ticket?? Vehicles require both shoulder and lap belts!

Please instill the importance of safety belts with your teens. It could save a life!

http://savon-teendriver.blogspot.com/

Car Buyers Beware!

2008-12-10T16:33:00.001-06:00

Kelley Blue Book just announced its annual top 10 list for auto brands in terms of resale value. Here they are:

1. Honda

2. Toyota

3. Volkswagon

4. Subaru

5. Lexus (a division of Toyota)

6. BMW

7. Infiniti (a divsion of Nissan)

8. Acura (a division of Honda)

9. Audi (a division of Volkswagon)

10. Nissan

Parents and teen drivers alike would be wise to understand the practical implications of this report before buying a car. You see, when have an accident, your insurance company will only pay you the value of the car at the time of the accident. The insurance adjuster will depreciate a car that doesn't hold its value to a much greater extent than one that does. So if you fork out $25,000 for a new GM and have an accident a year later, how much will you get? Couldn’t tell you for sure but probably a fair amount less than you would if you’d have bought a car in the top ten.

Myths & Facts About Drowsy Driving

2008-11-26T15:47:00.000-06:00

Drowsy driving causes more than 10,000 crashes each year, leading to 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Yet, of additional concern, the Liberty Mutual/SADD survey found an overwhelming number of teen drivers often rely on other mostly ineffective activities - some even distracting or dangerous - to help combat symptoms of drowsiness, including:

Playing loud music (49 percent)
Talking with passengers (45 percent)
Rolling down the window (27 percent)
Talking on their cell phone (22 percent)
Drinking energy drinks (19 percent)
Drinking coffee (14 percent)
Speeding (11 percent)
Text messaging (11 percent)

Of all of these choices, the National Sleep Foundation considers only caffeine - such as coffee or energy drinks - as a possible countermeasure to avoid falling asleep at the wheel. However, while the equivalent of two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours, it should not be relied on to overcome sleep deprivation. "We know these methods are not reliable for teens or adults," adds Melton. "Sleep loss or fatigue impairs driving skills such as hand-eye coordination, reaction time, vision, awareness of surroundings, and judgment".

Indeed, the National Sleep Foundation says drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as impaired driving. Unlike an impaired driver, a person who falls asleep while driving has no control of the vehicle and cannot take any measures to avoid a crash. The combination of sleepiness, inexperience, and lifestyle choices including tendencies to drive at night and in the early morning hours puts young adults at risk for drowsy-driving crashes. Prevention is key. Sufficient sleep is the best antidote to drowsy driving. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that teens should be getting between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep to be fully rested, but because of classes, after school activities, and social lives most teens are getting much less. The Liberty Mutual/SADD study found that teens get an average of 7.4 hours of sleep per night, the least amount (7.2 hours on average) coming on school nights (Sunday through Thursday). "Unfortunately, 'early to bed, early to rise' doesn't sync well with suddenly nocturnal teens who are balancing late nights, early mornings, and jam-packed schedules," said Stephen Wallace, SADD chairman/CEO. "They want to do it all, but our job is to help them regulate competing demands in a way that ensures they get the sleep they need to be safe behind the wheel." The National Sleep Foundation also supports these tips to help combat drowsy driving:

Allow time for breaks on long trips - about every 100 miles or two hours Use the buddy system - ask your passenger to stay awake during the drive to help keep you awake and to share the driving responsibilities.

If sleepiness sets in while driving, prevent a crash by pulling over to find a safe place to take a nap or sleep for the night.

Source: Liberty Mutual/SADD

Survey Shows Teens Reporting Less Than 8 Hours of Sleep...

2008-11-26T15:42:00.000-06:00

Are Twice As Likely To Fall Asleep at the Wheel

I got this from one of our concerned parents in our teen driver program. As always, I appreciate the articles many of you send me to review. They really help keep me and other parents educated.

Teens who get less than eight hours of sleep per night on average are twice as likely to say they have fallen asleep at the wheel (20 percent) than are teens who report getting an average of eight or more hours of sleep per night (10 percent), according to a new Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions survey. The national survey of 3,580 students in grades 10, 11, and 12 also found that 36 percent of teens often drive to school in the morning when drowsy. "The new survey reminds teens and parents that road safety begins with a good night's sleep," said Dave Melton, director of Transportation Technical Consulting Services at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in Hopkinton, Mass. Melton said the survey findings are significant, given that 82 percent of teen drivers report that their main reason for driving is to get to school. "As parents we tend to equate safe teen driving with sober driving, but fatigue should be an equal cause for concern," said Melton. "Together we need to raise awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of drowsy driving in our communities and schools to ensure our children are getting the rest they need and provide them with the tools to know what to do if they are on the road and tired".

The survey also provided a broad view of teen driving habits and the factors that are likely to affect whether a teen driver falls asleep at the wheel. For example: Teen boys (29 percent) are more likely than teen girls (24 percent) to say they feel safe driving alone when they are tired; yet teen boys (20 percent) are more likely than teen girls (11 percent) to fall asleep at the wheel.

Teens who have had a license for less than a year are more likely to fall asleep in the morning (31 percent); the reverse is true for more experienced teen drivers, as 55 percent of teens who have been licensed for more than a year say they are most likely to fall asleep at the wheel late at night.

Source: Libertly Mutual/SADD

Helping Your Young Driver Succeed.

2008-11-17T08:03:00.000-06:00

Some new drivers need extra learning time. Only you can decide whether or not your teen is ready to drive without adult supervision. Keep your new driver safe by setting and regularly communicating consistent rules about when, where, how, and with whom your teen is allowed to drive.

Limit the number of passengers in the car. Laughter, music, and cell phones can create serious distractions — which increase with every additional passenger.
Establish and enforce a curfew.
Insist that your driver (and all passengers) wear seat belts at all times. They may not be “cool,” but seatbelts save lives. (And, in some states, they’re law.)
Create a no-cell zone. Talking on the phone is a dangerous distraction on the road for drivers of any age. Know the applicable laws in your county or state, as these are changing rapidly and fines can be significant.
Consider limiting or supervising your teen’s driving privileges during accident high-risk times (such as Friday and Saturday nights).
Set driving-area limits. If your teen wants to travel outside your town or city, require that he or she request your special permission.
Prohibit driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Prohibit riding as a passenger with a driver who’s unfit to drive. Encourage your teen to call for a ride home if needed.

http://www.allstate.com/auto-insurance/auto-insurance-for-teens.aspx

How to Jump-Start a Car Battery

2008-09-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

It is always a good idea for your teen to know some basic vehicle maintenance. Making sure they know how to do basic vehicle maintenance SAFELY is also VERY important. Here are some tips on how to safely jump-start a car battery.

Enjoy! - Bill Gough

Remember to:

ALWAYS wear eye protection or eyeglasses when you jump-start a vehicle
ALWAYS make sure the cables will be clear of any moving engine parts when the cars are started
NEVER smoke while jump-starting a vehicle
ALWAYS start with the ignition in both vehicles turned OFF

Please remember that improper jump-starting can damage the car's electrical components. Consult your car owner’s manual. Jump-starting a car can be dangerous; do it only if you know how.

Find a friend or family member with another car. The cars must not be touching and both ignitions should be off. Each battery has two metal terminals on it. One is marked positive (+); the other is negative (-).

Step 1: Attach one end of one cable to the dead battery's positive terminal. Step 2: Attach the other end of the same cable to the positive terminal of the battery in the starting vehicle. Step 3: Attach one end of the other cable to the negative terminal of the battery in the starting vehicle. Step 4: Attach the other end of that cable to the engine block, or frame, of the car with the dead battery. Look for unpainted metal surfaces. Do not attach the negative cable to the dead battery itself, and do not attach it to the frame anywhere near the battery. Step 5: Start the car that's providing the jump-start. Wait a moment and then try to start the car with the dead battery. If it does not start, stop trying and wait a few moments longer. Try again for no more than thirty seconds. Step 6: After the dead car is running, remove the cable connections in the reverse order that you put them on. That means that the first disconnection is from the frame, and the last is from the positive terminal of the car that has just been started.

c 2008 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, 175 Berkeley Street, Massachusetts 02116

Inexperience Can Lead to Tragedy

2008-09-26T16:55:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had the privilege to hear an interview with a man who has a very riveting story to share. Although his story was one that we all hope to never experience, he has turned a tragic event into a mission to help others prevent the same happening to them. You see, Chris Fore, as an adolescent was just beginning to move into a new chapter in his life. He was the typical American high school student who had the world ahead of his an athlete with a promising future raised with good moral values and very active in his church. He had the world in front of him and it looked brighter than ever. Then one night everything changed… Chris was just 16 when he experienced an event so terrible, that it would forever change the course of his future. But worse, it would ultimately end the future of his good friend. One night after bible study, Chris and his friends decided to drive over to another friends house to finish the evening playing basketball. Chris’s friend, who was driving, had just gotten his drivers license earlier that day, and as they were driving through rural neighborhoods with many somewhat blind driveways, he caved in to peer pressure and pushed his vehicle beyond a safe speed. His inexperience as a driver led to an accident that ended his life and left a memory with those that survived the crash that would last as long as they lived. Chris survived the car crash to share the story to hopefully, make teens realize how dangerous driving really is. Chris spent the next several months in a wheel chair and his aspirations of becoming a star athlete diminished. Today, Chris is a high school football coach where every day he preaches his message of teen driver safety. He speaks on this subject every opportunity he gets and has turned this tragedy into a lifelong mission of preventing the same happening to those he influences. Again, I had the privilege to hear an interview with Chris and I would like to help him share his story with you in his own words. If YOU would like a FREE 30 minute CD of the interview with Chris Fore to hear the ENTIRE story (It could save a life)... email Kim Robinson at KRobinson@Allstate.com or call Kim at 256-765-2200.

P.S. Peer pressure, inexperience, and speeding are the leading causes of teenage deaths in our country. There are steps that you can take to possibly prevent or at least, reduce the likelihood of this happening to your family. It is the worst feeling to have the most precious thing in the world taken away from you (I know because I lost my son to a terrible accident last year) and I want to do my best to keep that from happening to you or your family.

For more information on teen driver safety visit www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican

Tears For My Friends

2008-09-16T17:14:00.000-05:00

With today's blog I thought I would let someone else's words do the talking for me. There are no safety advice or tips in this message but the words are very powerful and they remind us that if we fail in our mission to keep our children safe, the consequences for us will go on for as long as we live.

Tears for My Friend By Debbye Butle

The alcohol won.

I have another buddy. His name is Bill. He is a devoted family man, and until a dreaded October night in 1992, he had two sons and a daughter. Now he has one son, one daughter, and 17 years of memories of a child who will never grow older. Bill, too, had to live the worst parental nightmare possible — a tired teenager with a set of car keys, a can of beer, and an invincible attitude on a late weekend night.Both of my friends are incredibly loving people and responsible parents. They were looking forward to graduations, a son- or daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. But they have been cheated out of some of the best and most meaningful adventures in life, and nothing or no one can change that cruel, crushing reality.

Maybe you know someone who has lost a son or daughter because of this deadly combination. Maybe it’s a neighbor. Maybe it’s a friend. Maybe it’s someone in your own family. Maybe the children’s deaths were caused by another person who was driving while intoxicated.It’s hard for me to believe I would ever have personally known one family — much less two — that would have to live through this gnawing, once-it-happens-it-never-goes-away pain. And it’s even more difficult to know what to say to them. Hugs help. But they’ll never replace the hugs from the children who are gone because of alcohol.

Bill told me later he hoped he didn’t sound like he was preaching. Well … I hope he did. I hope everyone listened. And I hope everyone remembers.

Learn the Brutal Truths

2008-09-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

HOW MANY TEENS DIE IN CAR WRECKS?

In the U.S. 6,000 teens die every year in car crashes. That’s an average of 16 a day. Don’t let your friends be one of the 16.
Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens in the U.S., even more than alcohol, drugs, violence and suicide. Can you believe that?

WHY? WHAT CAUSES THIS?

Speeding and dumb little errors are responsible for most of the fatal teen car wrecks. Can you say “preventable”?
Nearly 40% of all fatal teen crashes are caused by speeding.
News flash: Life is a better rush than death.
87% of teens admit to speeding. Be a rebel and drive the speed limit.
Almost 25% of teen guys say they speed because it’s “fun”. Their injured friends, however, disagree.
In 2004, over 2,500 teens were in fatal crashes because of failing to yield or veering out of their lanes. Could there be any dumber reasons to die?

ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUY & GIRL DRIVERS?

Twice as many teen guys die in car wrecks than teen girls. Just bad luck or is there something else going on here?

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO FRIENDS HAVE?

Adding just one guy passenger to your car doubles the risk of a crash. Weird, but true.
The more friends you add to your car, the greater the risk of a wreck. Drive like your friendships depend on it.
44% of teens say they drive safer without friends in the car. Next time you drive with friends, invite your conscience to ride up front.
50% of teens say they wouldn’t speak up if a friend was driving recklessly. They just need to grow a backbone.
A lot of teens drive recklessly to impress their date. Smart drivers have nothing to prove.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?

56% of teens talk on their cell phones while driving, and 13% read or write text messages. Are these distractions worth an ambulance ride to the ER?
Some teens think they’ll get pulled over if they don’t drive as fast as everyone else on the freeway. This just in: They won’t!
Two-thirds of teens who die in car wrecks are not buckled up. Sad when people can’t even do the basics.
If you drive between 9 p.m. and midnight, you’re twice as likely to get in a crash. So focus, man, focus!
Some of the deadliest days for teen crashes are July 4th, New Year’s Eve, and the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Decide not to become a statistic.

WHAT ARE THE 15 CONSEQUENCES OF CARELESS OR RECKLESS DRIVING?

A really expensive ticket
Higher insurance rates
Losing your driving privileges
Losing your license
Seriously hurting a friend
Seriously hurting yourself
Being sued and going to court
Damaging property and having to pay for it yourself
Killing somebody you care about
Killing a stranger
Being arrested and charged as a felon
Serving time in jail
Not being able to get into college because of a felony record
Not being able to get a job because of a felony record
Loss of one’s dreams, one’s future, and one’s reputation with friends

NOW SHARE THE BRUTAL TRUTHS. SPEAK OUT. CHANGE MINDS. SAVE LIVES. (This information was provided by http://www.keepthedrive.com)

Studies Show Only 42% Of Teen Passengers Report Wearing Seat Belts

2008-08-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

Parents here is an article just incase you needed another reason to remind the kids to use their seat belts.

A new study on teen driving habits and safety found that 59 percent of teens always buckled up in the driver seat but only 42 percent always wore seat belts as passengers. However, only 38 percent of all teens in the study reported always buckling up as both drivers and passengers. Researchers from the Meharry-State Farm Alliance at Meharry Medical College say the lack of seat belt use by teen passengers is a big problem. "Because seat belts can reduce the risk of injury and death in crashes by more than 50 percent, there is a critical need for interventions to increase seat belt use by teens as both drivers and passengers," said Nathaniel Briggs, MD, MSc, lead researcher on the study, published in the September 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for nearly 5,000 fatalities each year. About 40 percent of all teen motor vehicle occupant deaths involve passengers. Additionally, the researchers pointed out a need for targeted interventions that address those teen subpopulations least likely to wear seat belts regardless of whether they are drivers or passengers, including young men, African Americans, students experiencing academic difficulties, and those with a history of either drinking and driving or riding with a drinking driver.

To address the issue, Briggs and his colleagues recommend a combination of approaches.

Upgrade state seat belt laws to uniformly require that teen motor vehicle occupants in the rear seat be secured in seat belts. Currently, the majority of state laws are limited to front seat coverage for some or all teens in the 16-19 age group.

Upgrade state seat belt laws from "secondary" (law enforcement officers can ticket motorists for seat belt law violations only after stopping them for another offense) to "primary" (law enforcement officers can stop and ticket motorists solely for seat belt law violations).

Enhance enforcement efforts directed toward teen motorists.

Develop comprehensive, community-based interventions including education, peer-to-peer persuasion, and parental monitoring.

The Meharry-State Farm Alliance study population comprised over 12,000 African American, White, and Hispanic public and private high school students ages 16 or older who participated in the 2001 and 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. The surveys are conducted every two years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track the leading causes of death and disability among U.S. teens.

Source: Meharry-State Farm Alliance

Lead By Example

2008-08-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

We've all seen those drivers swerving like there were bumper pads along the side of the road. When we finally get the nerve to pass them, one of the most commons sights today is a young driver frantically texting someone on their cell phone.

I'll mutter under my breath (or sometimes quite above my breath), "What in the world are they doing. Do they have a death wish?" Then it happened...

The other day I was headed home after picking my girls up from school. As I'm driving my phone buzzes. It's my wife emailing to say we're going out for pizza, meet her at the restaurant. I just click reply and... it hit me. My daughters were in the car and I was about to do what I tell parents to discourage their teen drivers from doing - send a text message while driving. This led to this post today.

It is easy to tell your teen driver what to do and what not to do. But am I, as a parent, teaching by example or just being a blow hard. People, and ESPECIALLY teenagers, are very aware when someone is talking one way and behaving another. If you have a teen driver and want them to be safe, responsible, and considerate then don't tell them - show them. I know I will need to work on that, but its worth it.

For great safety and money saving tips, visit www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.

Teaching Your Teen Vehicle Orientation and Maintenance

2008-08-15T09:12:00.000-05:00

Safety Tip: Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars!

Familiarize your teen with the location and operation of the vehicle controls. It is important that your teen is comfortable in the driver’s seat. Today’s newer cars are capable of adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator. Review proper operation of the heater, air conditioning, cruise control and wiper blades. Safety Tip: Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars!

I strongly recommend that you have your teen change a tire before he/she obtains their license. With the prevalence of cell phones, many parents assume their teen can call them or AAA for assistance. Depending on the location and time of day, it may take 2-3 hours before assistance can arrive.Safety Tip: Tire jacks can KILL! Practice with them the proper use and ‘placement of the jack”. People die from this every year. Don’t forget to show them how to chock the tires.

Safety Tip: It is very dangerous to change a tire on the highway. Call the state police to assure drivers move over and the safety of your teen.

Safety Tip: Maintain an Emergency kit in the trunk complete with: flares, a flashlight and batteries. Practice lighting flares.

Insurance Tip: Roadside Service is part of the Teensurance Program from Safeco. Help will be dispatched to help change tires or even deliver gas!

Hope this helps your family and brings everyone home safely! Please call our office anytime with any questions 256-765-2200

"Trunking" - The Latest Dangers to Teens

2008-07-21T11:54:00.000-05:00

As I was doing my research for this month's issue of my Driver’s Seat e-newsletter, I came across an article about the latest killer of teens. We all know that car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US. Now there is a trend going across the country that is adding to the danger of a teen behind the wheel and it's referred to as "Trunking".

As a teen, I remember hearing about kids in school that would climb into a trunk to sneak into a drive-in movie. Of course, I would never partake in such an act. But today, now that the drive-in movie is obsolete, there's another reason why kids are doing this.

Almost every state in the country now has laws limiting the number of passengers during the first few years of a teen driver's experience. These laws were passed to reduce the distractions in the car that have been proven to cause so many accidents. In order to circumvent these laws, kids are now packing themselves in the trunk of the car to be able to go with their friends. The worst part is that they will stay in the trunk while being driven all over town and even beyond.

The dangers are obvious to us and include suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exposure, freezing, being crushed or thrown out of the car as a result of an accident. You can just imagine how dangerous this could be for your child.

So what do you do? First explain the dangers and then define the consequences/punishment of this type of action. If your child is guilty, take away driving privileges and inform all the involved kids' parents of the act. You'll also want to pass this article on to other parents, just to let them know what kids are up to these days, so they can proactively counsel against it.

To sign up for a free subscription to my e-newletter, Driver’s Seat, visit my website at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican and register for VIP Access. You’ll also be able to learn more about how you can best protect your family.

Ask any parent...

2008-06-23T16:02:00.005-05:00

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.

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.

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%.

Three Keys to Greatness by Jim Rohn

2008-06-20T08:06:00.000-05:00

"Jim Rohn is maybe the greatest business philosophers of all time. I get his weekly ezines, receive and read many of his books, and listen to many of his cds and tapes. Below is a simple little plan, if followed that can lead you to anything that you desire in life. Jim has always believed in teaching children at an early age to follow some of these awesome principles... Enjoy and Apply!!!!"

Thanks,

Bill Gough

Three Keys to Greatness by Jim Rohn

Eight years ago I went into the studio and recorded a 56-minute video for teenagers called "Three Keys To Greatness." Although my focus was for teenagers, the principles I shared certainly apply to adults as well.

Here's a list of these three things using one to two sentences for each covered in the DVD. For your benefit here they are:

1) Setting Goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people, including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the future. So we need to help our kids see a well-defined future, so they will be motivated to pay the price today to attain the rewards of tomorrow. Goals help them do this.

2) Personal Development. Simply making consistent investments in our self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout our lives. I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for reading books, listening to audiocassettes, attending seminars, keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people. Charlie "Tremendous’ Jones says you will be in five years the sum total of the books you read and the people you are around.

3) Financial Planning. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your paycheck or paying yourself, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10% for investing and 10% for giving, and over time this will guarantee financial independence for a teenager.

If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing these three simple things over a long period of time I believe they will be assured success!

Talking to Other Parents

2008-06-13T12:19:00.002-05:00

Talking to other parents of teens lets you discuss what’s worked and what hasn’t. It’s a way of sharing experiences with someone facing the same issue as you. Here are some ideas for discussing teen safe driving with other parents:

Find out what rules and consequences other parents have established-and share your own. (You’ll be able to see real-life examples as you fill out each section of the Allstate Parent-Teen Driving Contract.) Talk about driving rules with other parents the same way you’d talk about parties, alcohol use or curfews.
Talk to other parents in your community about setting common driving rules. It’s much easier to be an effective parent when you have the support of other parents in your community.
Ask other parents how they coach their teens-what do they say to their friends if they think those friends are not driving safely? Or if a friend is drinking and driving?
Work together to help make sure all teens in your community are safe. Have an agreement with other parents to take away a teen’s car keys, call the parents, call a taxi or allow the teen to sleep over if they shouldn’t be driving. And agree that none of you will let a teen leave your house and get behind the wheel if you suspect they’ve been drinking.
Get teen driving on the agenda at the next parent-teacher meeting at school.

For more help on teen driving safety, please visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.

Making Your Teen a "Smart Driver"

2008-06-06T08:08:00.000-05:00

Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving when kids are young - and keep talking to them before, during and after the licensing process to ensure they learn successful, safe driving skills. Give these discussions the same priority as you would discussions about smoking, sex or drugs.

Don't rush things. Just because your teen has a permit or license it doesn’t mean they’re ready for every driving condition. Practice with them in empty parking lots or on side streets. Practice at night, in traffic and in adverse weather conditions. Keep in mind that if they do have an accident, it might not be their fault. The fact is, our brains are still developing through the teenage years and don't reach full maturity until our 20s.

Make sure you’re familiar with your state’s laws (they’ve probably changed since you learned to drive). Many states have enacted laws to help new drivers get on-the-road driving experience under lower-risk conditions, protecting them while they are learning. Know what your state’s requirements are and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your teen may drive.

Practice what you preach. If you speed, roll through stop signs, make rude gestures at other drivers or chat on your cell phone behind the wheel, your teen is likely to do the same.

For more help on teen driving safety, please visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.

Talking About Safe Driving

2008-06-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

Start the Conversation - Teaching Your Teen to Drive

When’s the best time to talk about safe driving? Right now. Research shows that too many parents put off the conversation until their teens are “permit age” (generally 15). The other big ‘talks’- as in smoking, drugs, sex - usually take place much earlier. But the consequences of unsafe driving can be deadly, so the earlier you have the conversation, the better. Here are some tips to help the discussion. The conversation shouldn’t end once your teen has their license. How they drive during those first few months sets the pattern for all future driving. This web site is a great resource for you to keep the conversation going. Talk with your teen, not at them. Remember, they’re excited about driving. It’s a fun topic for them. If your teen feels they can share their views, their experiences and their excitement about driving with you, things may go a lot more smoothly. Being a “safe driver” is not something teens dream of becoming. But becoming a “smart driver” does appeal to them. The same goes for becoming a “skilled driver.” So concentrate on them learning to drive well and prepare them well for adverse driving situations such as rain, snow, and glare. Don’t be afraid to be parental. You’re still the authority figure they most admire. Your job is to provide structure for your teens. They won’t ever say so, but it’s what teens want and what they need—a parent, not a friend. Don’t balk at enforcing the guidelines. A consequence is not a consequence unless you enforce it. Taking away your teen’s driving privileges for a week or a month may not be convenient for you, but it might just save their life.

When Teaching Your Teen To Drive... Look at Yourself

2008-05-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

The answer is they learn a lot from watching you drive. They will pick up your good and bad habits. That is why as a parent, you must really monitor your own driving while your young teens are in the car. You should begin to model good driving behavior and even talk about that behavior with your children.

While your young teens are in the car, don’t:

Eat and drive. Make sure that they see you giving your full attention to your driving.
Talk on your phone while driving. I know this one is hard to break but when your child tries this while driving it is the equivalent of having them drink a few stiff ones and then try driving.
Run the yellow light. Teach your teens not to gamble with yellow lights. Their judgment is not as well developed as yours and this behavior can end in tragedy.
Follow too closely. This is something you shouldn’t do at any time but when your child is in the car they will get a sense for what is the correct following distance. Show them by leaving enough space between you and the car in front of you.
Drive aggressively. Again, they will model what you do. Teach them to be a courteous and respectful driver. It might make you late a few times but what is that to saving their life.
Speed. Your children should respect the speed limit. This will save them money in tickets and attorney’s fees, but it will probably also save their life. 33% of teen driver fatalities are due to excessive speed.

Here are a few things you should do when your teens ride with you:

Always use your seatbelt. And always insist that all passengers wear theirs as well.
Use turn signals and practice “accurate” driving. Talk to your teens about this.
Keep your car maintained and the windshield clean. The other day I had to drive my daughter’s car and I was appalled at the mess on her windshield. It was downright dangerous and I realized that I had never spoken with her about this subject. This goes for checking tire wear and tire pressure as well.
Come to a complete stop at all stop signs.
Slow down in bad weather. Tell you teens that you are driving a bit slower and leaving more distance from the car in front today because the bad weather makes the driving that much more dangerous.

These are just a few tips that you can use. I’m sure you can think of even more to help your child become a safer driver so that you can get through this time in your life without a tragedy.

For more help on teen driving safety, please visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.

Put Your Child Through The Paces - While YOU Are In The Car!

2008-05-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

The Driver Education In-Car Training provided by our public school systems is really only a starting point for teaching your teen to drive safely. I recommend no less than 100 hours driving time for your child with a parent in the passenger seat before you let them out on his or her own. One thing that you should do when teaching your child how to drive is teach them how to deal with stressful and dangerous situations while you are there to talk them through it. For example, I advise that you take them to an abandoned, low traffic road and with them observing in the passenger seat, you drive car off the road and talk them through the process of getting the car back on the road in a safe manner. Too often, young drivers faced with this situation will overcorrect and jerk the wheel too forcefully. This can lead to losing control of the vehicle. Let them gain experience with this type of emergency maneuver while you are teaching and talking them through it. When you feel that they are ready, have them drive off the road and bring the car safely back onto the road. Another great learning experience is 5:00 traffic. They are going to have to drive in it eventually; don’t you want to make sure that you have taught them how before they tackle it on their own? Make it a point, when you think they are ready, to have them drive in stressful traffic situations, including traffic to and from ball games and concerts. If they have done this with you in the passenger seat, then when they are doing with a distracting friend in the seat beside them, they stand a much better chance of handling this safely. Try to think of any other situations that might require your help and seek those out while you are still training them. We hope you strive to teach your child safe driving habits from vehicle maintenance to traffic lights, to highway safety and even map reading. If you want to know more about teen driver safety visit www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican.

How You Can Help Your Teen Avoid Making The 5 Most Common Deadly Mistakes

2008-05-07T08:29:00.001-05:00

Mistake #1 - Speeding. The best way I know to deter a child from speeding is to install a GPS monitoring system that will alert you if your teen exceeds a pre-determined safe speed. The majority of fatal accidents occur at very high rates of speed. Knowing that their parents are monitoring their speed almost guarantees that your child won't make this mistake. Mistake #2 - Over-correcting. Spend time with your teen in a large open parking lot. Have them swerve the vehicle and try to regain control at various speeds. This will help them understand how the vehicle handles, and to learn the smaller adjustments needed to recover control. Mistake #3 - Distractions. There are laws now that are designed to reduce distractions, but kids frequently ignore these rules. As a parent you must help enforce them. The laws prohibiting cell phone use and limiting the number of passengers in the teen's car were made to save lives. Mistake #4 - Following too Close. The current "3 Second" rule can help avoid making this mistake. The rule states that your vehicle should pass an object no sooner than 3 seconds after the car in front of you passes an object. Anything less means that the proper following distance is not being maintained. This rule is good, but I personally prefer the old rule that says that for every 10 MPH of speed, there should be at least one car length between your vehicle and the vehicle you are following. Mistake #5 - Failure to Yield. Apparently, teens are not getting the message on when they should yield. Drivers' education courses are not covering this well, if at all. It is very likely your teen doesn't have this knowledge and it certainly needs to be addressed. Review the different situations and spend some time in the car with your teen practicing the rules on yielding. The bottom line is that teens are not getting the drivers' education they need from school. It is up to you as the parent to spend time with your teen reviewing the rules of the road and practicing behind the wheel.

5 Most Common Mistakes Teen Drivers Make

2008-05-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

James Poer This is an article my friend, Master Police Officer James Poer wrote on teen driver safety. I thought you should read it. --Bill 5 Most Common Mistakes Teen Drivers Make 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 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.

After School Hours Are Dangerous For Teen Drivers

2008-05-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Most parents only really get concerned about their teen driver when they head out on the road at night. And rightfully so. It is a very dangerous time. But a recent study shows that the time right after school is also a 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 1,100 weekday fatal accidents and 1,237 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 your teen to 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 256-757-3109.

Graduation and Summer Break Fast Approaches!

2008-04-30T08:13:00.000-05:00

Hi! This is an exciting time of the year for teens with graduation and the upcoming summer break on their minds. This is also a time when, more than any other time of the year, parents must remain vigilant on their teen driver's safety. Why? Because this is when the number of teen driver accidents increase along with the number of deaths. So, what can you do? First, start by talking with your teen. Express your concerns and stress the importance of not drinking and driving. This discussion with your teen will help them understand the dangers as well as the responsibility they have to their passengers and others on the road. Second, consider getting a contract between you and your teen driver. You can get a copy by visiting my website at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican. This contract will put in writing the rules they must follow in order to continue enjoying their privilege of driving. Third, make sure your teen understands that you are always willing to pick them up, no matter what time it is, if they have been drinking. You may not know whether your teen drinks alcohol, but statistics prove that the majority does. Don't take a chance because you think your teen doesn't drink. Just make sure that if they ever get into a situation where they even have one drink, they should never get behind the wheel. Let them know that you'll be glad to pick them up. Best of luck during this dangerous time and I wish you and your family good health, happiness and prosperity! Bill

Teen Driver GPS Monitoring Systems

2008-04-28T09:43:00.000-05:00

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 antenna that sends 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! I have been able to work out special pricing for systems like this that can allow parents to save 50% on these units and in some cases parents, can get this system installed for free! Go to my website for more details - www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican

Bill Gough