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