Everything You Own is In Your Teen's Hands

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?

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!

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

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...

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

© Debbye Butler. Used with author’s permission. May not be reproduced in any fashion without author’s express permission. Debbye Butler is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis, Ind.

Learn the Brutal Truths

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?

1. A really expensive ticket
2. Higher insurance rates
3. Losing your driving privileges
4. Losing your license
5. Seriously hurting a friend
6. Seriously hurting yourself
7. Being sued and going to court
8. Damaging property and having to pay for it yourself
9. Killing somebody you care about
10. Killing a stranger
11. Being arrested and charged as a felon
12. Serving time in jail
13. Not being able to get into college because of a felony record
14. Not being able to get a job because of a felony record
15. 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

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

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

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 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.

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

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...

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:

1. Good Student- If you teen driver has a "B" average or better, you can save up to 10%.
2. Multi-policy- If you insure your home and cars with the same company, you can save up to 15% on both policies
3. GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System- There is one company that offers a 15% discount for installing this unit in the teen driver's car
4. Safe Driver- If your family has a clean driving and claims record, you can save up to 15%
5. 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.

Three Keys to Greatness by Jim Rohn

"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

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"

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.

Talking About Safe Driving

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

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 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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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