When teenagers turn sixteen years old, the time is usually called “sweet sixteen” and is a period when young people are entitled to a driver’s license and the open road, but before they get behind the wheel, the USAA Educational Foundation has some sweet tips—sixteen tips, in fact—to help teen drivers avoid teenage car accidents.

As car accident lawyers, we know that teen drivers are higher at risk for getting into a car crash, causing personal injury to themselves and other.  These personal injuries can be whiplash injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, and physical disabilities—all of which require a lot of money to help pay the medical bills.  While a lot of pain and suffering can come from personal injuries in teenage auto accidents, it is better than instances when teen drivers cause fatal car accidents.

So as your son or daughter reaches that sweet sixteen age, here are sixteen tips to help keep them out of teenage auto accidents and be safe teen drivers:

1.  Be well-rested and alert each time you get behind the wheel

2.  Never drive after consuming alcohol or using illegal substances or medication that causes drowsiness

3.  Always wear a seatbelt and require passengers to buckle up, too

4.  Obey all traffic safety laws

5.  Slow down in bad weather conditions, such as rain

6.  Avoid distractions that divert your attention from the road (i.e. cell phone)

7.  Do not eat or drink while driving a car

8.  Do not overload your vehicle with passengers

9.  Drive safely and defensively at all times

10.  Do not provoke road rage in other drivers

11.  Do not open your window for any stranger

12.  Keep the doors locked on your car

13.  Only individuals listed on your insurance should drive your automobile

14.  Keep a list of emergency contact numbers readily available

15.  Carry a road map, a flashlight, and extra batteries at all time

16.  Take your car in for a full safety inspection at least 1 week before a long trip

As car accident lawyers, we believe that parents cannot teach these sixteen tips to their teen drivers enough, so that when they are out on their own, they can avoid getting into a teenage auto accident.  Because your teen drivers should be safe on the road and live to see seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, and every year after that, make sure that they are covered by the best car insurance policy available.

Please contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced car accident lawyer—in either English or Spanish—at (800) 655-6585 or click here to submit your case for a Free Review.