Hello Parents of Teen Drivers!
We just created a new video that can help you understand how you should be best protected and learn how you make your teen a safer driver.
Now that you have a teen driver in your household, you need to make sure your insurance protection is adequate in case your teen causes an accident. So, please take a few minutes and view this important video by clicking here: http://www.viddler.com/explore/TomWiecek/videos/6/
If you would like to find a local Family Insurance Specialist that can help you get the right protection for your family at the lowest cost, visit www.teendriverinsurance.com.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Parents of Teen Drivers- How to Protect Yourself in Case Your Teen Causes an Accident
By Tom Wiecek, President of the Society of Family Insurance Specialists
The worst just happened.
Well, almost the worst. You get a call from your child who just started driving without you. "Uh...hello mom. I was just in an accident."
Fortunately, your child was able to call you but you must ask "Are you okay?"
Then you wonder about the others that are possibly involved.
"Was anyone riding with you?"
"Was anyone hurt?"
"What about the other driver and anyone in their car?"
Your emotions go through the roof and you realize that this could be the worst phone call you could ever get. The good news is your child is okay. The bad news is that someone else is not. And it's a result of your child's negligence.
Let's pray you never get this call or a call from someone else that tells you your child's been in an accident.
So, what happens if you do get a call like this? What if there are some serious injuries or damage to property? Are you protected? To be more specific - Are you protected for a lawsuit? A lawsuit that could cost you everything you have worked so hard for?
It's hard for you or me to put a value on someone's life. But, if someone is paralyzed or even killed in a car accident, how can you repay that person's family or provide for their care if they survive?
Here's what will happen. You will pay. The courts will decide how much and over time, you will pay- Unless you're protected adequately by good insurance.
I hate to be so blunt, but this is serious and it's something you must consider- especially, now that you have an inexperienced driver in your household.
So, how can you make sure you are protected?
First, find an insurance agent that specializes in protecting families with teen drivers. A family insurance specialist understands the special needs required to protect you in case your teen causes an accident.
Second, ask this agent to conduct a 21 point review on your car and home insurance. Why should this be done on both policies? Because you will also need the most important policy every parent with a teen driver should have, an umbrella policy. This special policy provides additional liability coverage for the major event… a big lawsuit that can leave you devastated. Just as the name implies, this policy provides an “umbrella” of coverage over your other policies including your home.
Once you have had a 21 point protection review completed, you will likely discover that you are underinsured. Don’t be surprised. The majority of families with teen drivers are underinsured and usually never find out until something happens. That’s understandable since so many parents trust an agent that doesn’t specialize in protecting families with teen drivers. Now that you know you could be left exposed to a serious lawsuit, you have no excuse for getting the right protection. Here’s a true story of someone that knew they should be protected and didn’t take action…
A long time client called my office to add their 16 year old daughter to their car insurance. We recommended making some changes, most importantly, increasing their liability coverage. He had a limit of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. This means that if he or someone in his household was found liable for an accident, the most an insurance company would pay is $100,000 per person for personal injury and $300,000 for everyone injured in the accident.
Well, he refused to accept our recommendations after a strong urging. We even had him sign off on this. Within the first year, his daughter lost control of her vehicle while driving down the highway with 2 friends in her small SUV. Her girlfriend in the back seat, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle as it rolled 3 times across oncoming traffic.
Fortunately, she survived but spent over 3 weeks in the hospital with serious and permanent injuries. As you can guess, my client didn’t have enough coverage to pay for the lawsuit that followed. I’ll never forget the day he told me “Nothing will ever happen. My daughter is responsible and a good driver.” Now he is paying for this incident and will be for a very long time.
If he took my advice, increased his liability limits and purchased an umbrella, his financial future would have been protected.
To learn more about how you can best protect your family and find a local family insurance specialist, visit http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/ .
The worst just happened.
Well, almost the worst. You get a call from your child who just started driving without you. "Uh...hello mom. I was just in an accident."
Fortunately, your child was able to call you but you must ask "Are you okay?"
Then you wonder about the others that are possibly involved.
"Was anyone riding with you?"
"Was anyone hurt?"
"What about the other driver and anyone in their car?"
Your emotions go through the roof and you realize that this could be the worst phone call you could ever get. The good news is your child is okay. The bad news is that someone else is not. And it's a result of your child's negligence.
Let's pray you never get this call or a call from someone else that tells you your child's been in an accident.
So, what happens if you do get a call like this? What if there are some serious injuries or damage to property? Are you protected? To be more specific - Are you protected for a lawsuit? A lawsuit that could cost you everything you have worked so hard for?
It's hard for you or me to put a value on someone's life. But, if someone is paralyzed or even killed in a car accident, how can you repay that person's family or provide for their care if they survive?
Here's what will happen. You will pay. The courts will decide how much and over time, you will pay- Unless you're protected adequately by good insurance.
I hate to be so blunt, but this is serious and it's something you must consider- especially, now that you have an inexperienced driver in your household.
So, how can you make sure you are protected?
First, find an insurance agent that specializes in protecting families with teen drivers. A family insurance specialist understands the special needs required to protect you in case your teen causes an accident.
Second, ask this agent to conduct a 21 point review on your car and home insurance. Why should this be done on both policies? Because you will also need the most important policy every parent with a teen driver should have, an umbrella policy. This special policy provides additional liability coverage for the major event… a big lawsuit that can leave you devastated. Just as the name implies, this policy provides an “umbrella” of coverage over your other policies including your home.
Once you have had a 21 point protection review completed, you will likely discover that you are underinsured. Don’t be surprised. The majority of families with teen drivers are underinsured and usually never find out until something happens. That’s understandable since so many parents trust an agent that doesn’t specialize in protecting families with teen drivers. Now that you know you could be left exposed to a serious lawsuit, you have no excuse for getting the right protection. Here’s a true story of someone that knew they should be protected and didn’t take action…
A long time client called my office to add their 16 year old daughter to their car insurance. We recommended making some changes, most importantly, increasing their liability coverage. He had a limit of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. This means that if he or someone in his household was found liable for an accident, the most an insurance company would pay is $100,000 per person for personal injury and $300,000 for everyone injured in the accident.
Well, he refused to accept our recommendations after a strong urging. We even had him sign off on this. Within the first year, his daughter lost control of her vehicle while driving down the highway with 2 friends in her small SUV. Her girlfriend in the back seat, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle as it rolled 3 times across oncoming traffic.
Fortunately, she survived but spent over 3 weeks in the hospital with serious and permanent injuries. As you can guess, my client didn’t have enough coverage to pay for the lawsuit that followed. I’ll never forget the day he told me “Nothing will ever happen. My daughter is responsible and a good driver.” Now he is paying for this incident and will be for a very long time.
If he took my advice, increased his liability limits and purchased an umbrella, his financial future would have been protected.
To learn more about how you can best protect your family and find a local family insurance specialist, visit http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/ .
Friday, October 24, 2008
GPS Teen Monitoring System- It Can Save Your Child’s Life!
By Master Police Officer III James Poer
It amazes me when I see kids speeding around town as if they are bullet proof and invincible. All too often, this is why we lose kids in car accidents. Speeding is the number one cause for teen driver deaths and it's because they really don't know better.
Once they get behind the wheel, they think they can control their car at any speed and tend to push the limits. The problem happens when they get into a situation at a high speed and can't react quickly enough. Even professional car racers sometimes can't react quickly enough at high speeds.
When you add speed to any situation, you have what is called the "multiplier" effect. This means that the faster you approach an object, the less time you have to properly react, so the speed of your reaction needs to be multiplied.
So, how can you make sure your teen doesn't speed? Of course, it's up to you to make certain they don't and there is one tool that can almost guarantee your teen driver doesn’t make this dangerous mistake. GPS Teen Monitoring System- In my opinion, this is the best thing invented since sliced bread. This system works so well because the teen understands that if he or she speeds, you will know about it.
Here’s how it works.
A small gps unit is installed in your teen’s car, usually under the dash where it can’t be seen. The unit sends a signal to a satellite where it is monitored by the GPS provider. When you teen exceeds the preset speed limit, a signal is sent to you via text message, cell phone, or e-mail.
You can log into a special website where you can set the speed as well as monitor where your teen’s car is at any time. You can see how fast he or she is traveling and on what roads too.
Some systems offer other safety features like driving range alerts and driving time alerts. For more information, contact your http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/ agent for special deals on these units.
During my years investigating accidents, I have seen the effects of speeding and witnessed the deaths of too many teens. If more parents had these units installed in their children’s cars, I am certain more teens would avoid fatal car accidents.
Officer Poer is a 30 year veteran accident investigator. He is also a parent of 4 drivers. His experience, conviction, and advice are demonstrated on his website- http://www.parentalcourage.com/. Please visit his site often and remain vigilant about your teen driver’s safety!
Original article and more information on teen driver safety can be found at http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/
It amazes me when I see kids speeding around town as if they are bullet proof and invincible. All too often, this is why we lose kids in car accidents. Speeding is the number one cause for teen driver deaths and it's because they really don't know better.
Once they get behind the wheel, they think they can control their car at any speed and tend to push the limits. The problem happens when they get into a situation at a high speed and can't react quickly enough. Even professional car racers sometimes can't react quickly enough at high speeds.
When you add speed to any situation, you have what is called the "multiplier" effect. This means that the faster you approach an object, the less time you have to properly react, so the speed of your reaction needs to be multiplied.
So, how can you make sure your teen doesn't speed? Of course, it's up to you to make certain they don't and there is one tool that can almost guarantee your teen driver doesn’t make this dangerous mistake. GPS Teen Monitoring System- In my opinion, this is the best thing invented since sliced bread. This system works so well because the teen understands that if he or she speeds, you will know about it.
Here’s how it works.
A small gps unit is installed in your teen’s car, usually under the dash where it can’t be seen. The unit sends a signal to a satellite where it is monitored by the GPS provider. When you teen exceeds the preset speed limit, a signal is sent to you via text message, cell phone, or e-mail.
You can log into a special website where you can set the speed as well as monitor where your teen’s car is at any time. You can see how fast he or she is traveling and on what roads too.
Some systems offer other safety features like driving range alerts and driving time alerts. For more information, contact your http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/ agent for special deals on these units.
During my years investigating accidents, I have seen the effects of speeding and witnessed the deaths of too many teens. If more parents had these units installed in their children’s cars, I am certain more teens would avoid fatal car accidents.
Officer Poer is a 30 year veteran accident investigator. He is also a parent of 4 drivers. His experience, conviction, and advice are demonstrated on his website- http://www.parentalcourage.com/. Please visit his site often and remain vigilant about your teen driver’s safety!
Original article and more information on teen driver safety can be found at http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Proposed New Teen Safety Program Offered to Parents
The Society of Family Insurance Specialist is working on a project that we believe can make a difference in reducing the dangerous driving that causes most teen driver accidents and fatalities.
Immaturity is attributed to many of the mistakes teens make. Talking on cell phones, distractions in the car, peer pressure to push the limits, and just plain being careless most often leads to accidents.
The project we are proposing and have support to fund sounds like it can help, but we need to know what parents like you think of the program and whether you would consider it worthwhile to participate.
Here's how it will work...
You would get a bumper sticker (11 X 3.5) that is similar to the bumper sticker you often see on commercial vehicles (How's my driving?) and place it on your teen driver's car. There will be a toll-free number and a unique code printed on the sticker.
If your teen drives dangerously, and if someone calls the toll-free number to report, you will be notified of the incident. The person reporting the incident will have to describe the vehicle, time and place, and the code on the bumper sticker. This information will be handled by a third party and will only be disclosed to you by e-mail. The insurance company will never have access to this information.
Most likely, the reports will be minimal but the real benefit is that if your teen driver knows that there is a chance of being reported, the likelihood of making a mistake should be drastically reduced.
So, would you mind taking just a minute to answer 7 questions and let our organization know what you think?
Click Here to Take Our Survey
This survey is completely anonymous. So, please feel free to share your honest thoughts on this program.
Thanks for your time!
Tom Wiecek, President
Society of Family Insurance Specialists
PS As I mentioned, this program will be funded 100%. There will be no cost to you. But, there is a significant expense in creating this program and we need to make sure that this would be something that parents find valuable. If we get enough positive response, we’ll make it happen. Thanks again for your help!
Immaturity is attributed to many of the mistakes teens make. Talking on cell phones, distractions in the car, peer pressure to push the limits, and just plain being careless most often leads to accidents.
The project we are proposing and have support to fund sounds like it can help, but we need to know what parents like you think of the program and whether you would consider it worthwhile to participate.
Here's how it will work...
You would get a bumper sticker (11 X 3.5) that is similar to the bumper sticker you often see on commercial vehicles (How's my driving?) and place it on your teen driver's car. There will be a toll-free number and a unique code printed on the sticker.
If your teen drives dangerously, and if someone calls the toll-free number to report, you will be notified of the incident. The person reporting the incident will have to describe the vehicle, time and place, and the code on the bumper sticker. This information will be handled by a third party and will only be disclosed to you by e-mail. The insurance company will never have access to this information.
Most likely, the reports will be minimal but the real benefit is that if your teen driver knows that there is a chance of being reported, the likelihood of making a mistake should be drastically reduced.
So, would you mind taking just a minute to answer 7 questions and let our organization know what you think?
Click Here to Take Our Survey
This survey is completely anonymous. So, please feel free to share your honest thoughts on this program.
Thanks for your time!
Tom Wiecek, President
Society of Family Insurance Specialists
PS As I mentioned, this program will be funded 100%. There will be no cost to you. But, there is a significant expense in creating this program and we need to make sure that this would be something that parents find valuable. If we get enough positive response, we’ll make it happen. Thanks again for your help!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Your Child Needs A Car – What Should You Buy?
By Wake Clinard
Your Child Needs A Car – What Should You Buy?
Many times we are asked this question by our clients with teen drivers so I thought I would address this issue in today’s blog. Some parents fall prey to “I just want the best for my child” syndrome and in their efforts to do the “best” thing for their child, they may in fact do the “worst”.
When shopping for a first car for your child there are several considerations that should rise to the top of the pile for you. They are:
What car will help keep my child safe?.... and,
What car will keep my insurance rates low?
I can tell you that if you left it to your teen to choose the car then these two considerations would probably fall to the bottom of the list.
The odds are that your child will be involved in some type of accident in his or her first year of driving. That is why your teen’s first car should be one that is safe for them and one that won’t hurt your pocketbook in the event of a minor bump up.
Let’s start with safety. Here you want to find a vehicle that is large and slow. Don’t get one that is so old that you skip the anti-lock brakes and airbags though. Underpowered is good as well. Now I know that in these times of climbing gas prices you might be tempted to choose a smaller car for your child. I would encourage you not to fall into that trap. Think of your child’s first car as a temporary solution for say a year or two until they become more a more competent driver. With that in mind, the poor gas mileage, while painful will be a short term trade off to keep them safe while they are in their most dangerous stage. In addition, today’s higher gas prices are driving down the resale value of larger used cars so you can make up some of the gas cost on the purchase price.
One more note about safety. Do not purchase a SUV type vehicle for your child. Any vehicle that has a high center of gravity will increase the chances of a rollover accident tremendously. Young drivers simply have not had the experience that they need to judge speed going into tight turns and these vehicles are very unforgiving of this mistake.
Now, how do you keep the costs of insurance lower? Well, as soon as your child becomes a primary operator on a vehicle, their inexperienced operator rates will go up, but you can minimize the cost by purchasing an inexpensive first vehicle for your child. This way you can avoid having to purchase collision insurance on this vehicle. You need to be sure that if the vehicle is totaled and you need to replace it that you can afford to do so. When my son banged up his first car in two different accidents that were his fault, I took the car to a local body repair shop and asked them to repair it enough to keep the car safe and legal. While it might have cost thousands to repair the dings and dents, making it safe and legal in each case cost me about $300.
One last note about cars for your teens. Purchasing an older model car gives you the chance to see how well your child will take car of a car. Let them know that you purchasing a newer, nicer car for them in the future is contigent on how well they maintain this one. This gives you a low risk opportunity to see how well they will take this advice. Imagine how you might feel if you spend a small fortune on a car and insurance for them and after a month or so the inside looks like a garbage dump. I guess another way to predict this would be to take a look inside your teenager's room. But of course that is always a scary proposition. Good luck and happy car hunting.
Your Child Needs A Car – What Should You Buy?
Many times we are asked this question by our clients with teen drivers so I thought I would address this issue in today’s blog. Some parents fall prey to “I just want the best for my child” syndrome and in their efforts to do the “best” thing for their child, they may in fact do the “worst”.
When shopping for a first car for your child there are several considerations that should rise to the top of the pile for you. They are:
What car will help keep my child safe?.... and,
What car will keep my insurance rates low?
I can tell you that if you left it to your teen to choose the car then these two considerations would probably fall to the bottom of the list.
The odds are that your child will be involved in some type of accident in his or her first year of driving. That is why your teen’s first car should be one that is safe for them and one that won’t hurt your pocketbook in the event of a minor bump up.
Let’s start with safety. Here you want to find a vehicle that is large and slow. Don’t get one that is so old that you skip the anti-lock brakes and airbags though. Underpowered is good as well. Now I know that in these times of climbing gas prices you might be tempted to choose a smaller car for your child. I would encourage you not to fall into that trap. Think of your child’s first car as a temporary solution for say a year or two until they become more a more competent driver. With that in mind, the poor gas mileage, while painful will be a short term trade off to keep them safe while they are in their most dangerous stage. In addition, today’s higher gas prices are driving down the resale value of larger used cars so you can make up some of the gas cost on the purchase price.
One more note about safety. Do not purchase a SUV type vehicle for your child. Any vehicle that has a high center of gravity will increase the chances of a rollover accident tremendously. Young drivers simply have not had the experience that they need to judge speed going into tight turns and these vehicles are very unforgiving of this mistake.
Now, how do you keep the costs of insurance lower? Well, as soon as your child becomes a primary operator on a vehicle, their inexperienced operator rates will go up, but you can minimize the cost by purchasing an inexpensive first vehicle for your child. This way you can avoid having to purchase collision insurance on this vehicle. You need to be sure that if the vehicle is totaled and you need to replace it that you can afford to do so. When my son banged up his first car in two different accidents that were his fault, I took the car to a local body repair shop and asked them to repair it enough to keep the car safe and legal. While it might have cost thousands to repair the dings and dents, making it safe and legal in each case cost me about $300.
One last note about cars for your teens. Purchasing an older model car gives you the chance to see how well your child will take car of a car. Let them know that you purchasing a newer, nicer car for them in the future is contigent on how well they maintain this one. This gives you a low risk opportunity to see how well they will take this advice. Imagine how you might feel if you spend a small fortune on a car and insurance for them and after a month or so the inside looks like a garbage dump. I guess another way to predict this would be to take a look inside your teenager's room. But of course that is always a scary proposition. Good luck and happy car hunting.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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 toyield or veering out of their lanes. Could there be any dumberreasons to die?
ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUY & GIRL DRIVERS?
Twice as many teen guys die in car wrecks than teen girls. Just badluck 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 timeyou drive with friends, invite your conscience to ride up front.
50% of teens say they wouldn’t speak up if a friend was drivingrecklessly. They just need to grow a backbone.
A lot of teens drive recklessly to impress their date. Smart drivershave nothing to prove.ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?
56% of teens talk on their cell phones while driving, and 13% read orwrite text messages. Are these distractions worth an ambulance rideto the ER?
Some teens think they’ll get pulled over if they don’t drive as fast aseveryone else on the freeway. This just in: They won’t!
Two-thirds of teens who die in car wrecks are not buckled up. Sadwhen people can’t even do the basics.
If you drive between 9 p.m. and midnight, you’re twice as likely to getin a crash. So focus, man, focus!
Some of the deadliest days for teen crashes are July 4th, New Year’sEve, 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?
(This information was provided by http://www.keepthedrive.com)
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 toyield or veering out of their lanes. Could there be any dumberreasons to die?
ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUY & GIRL DRIVERS?
Twice as many teen guys die in car wrecks than teen girls. Just badluck 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 timeyou drive with friends, invite your conscience to ride up front.
50% of teens say they wouldn’t speak up if a friend was drivingrecklessly. They just need to grow a backbone.
A lot of teens drive recklessly to impress their date. Smart drivershave nothing to prove.ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?
56% of teens talk on their cell phones while driving, and 13% read orwrite text messages. Are these distractions worth an ambulance rideto the ER?
Some teens think they’ll get pulled over if they don’t drive as fast aseveryone else on the freeway. This just in: They won’t!
Two-thirds of teens who die in car wrecks are not buckled up. Sadwhen people can’t even do the basics.
If you drive between 9 p.m. and midnight, you’re twice as likely to getin a crash. So focus, man, focus!
Some of the deadliest days for teen crashes are July 4th, New Year’sEve, 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
(This information was provided by http://www.keepthedrive.com)
Your Teen Driver's Safety- It is Your Responsibility!
By Master Police Officer James Poer
During my years investigating accidents, I have had to witness the results of the careless mistakes teens make behind the wheel. As a father of four, these experiences made it very stressful for me as each of my children became drivers.
I spent this past Saturday helping 57 teen drivers and their parents learn about the dangers teens face on the road. They learned about the effects of alcohol, distractions and careless driving plus they got to experience what it is like to lose control of a motor vehicle in 3 different situations.
One major point we tried to make was that teens must have as much 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, only 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.
Lack of experience is why teens are 5 times more likely to get into accidents than experienced drivers like you and me. And, it is your responsibility as a parent to make sure your teen gets this experience of driving in different situations.
Your TeenDriverInsurance.com agent provides what I consider an excellent tool in helping you accomplish this. 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 every teen must master.
This guide will help you make your teen's supervised driving time most effective. Contact your agent today to get a copy. It can really give your teen the experience and skill to come home safely every time they grab the car keys.
You can learn more tips and strategies on keeping your teen safe by visiting my Blog at www.parentalcourage.com.
Master Police Officer, James Poer has investigated countless accidents over the past 30 years. He is also a parent of 4 drivers and his experience and advice is priceless. Please visit his blog often to learn more about how you can make your teen a safer driver.
You can learn more about protecting your family and how you can keep your teen safe, visit www.teendriverinsurance.com.
During my years investigating accidents, I have had to witness the results of the careless mistakes teens make behind the wheel. As a father of four, these experiences made it very stressful for me as each of my children became drivers.
I spent this past Saturday helping 57 teen drivers and their parents learn about the dangers teens face on the road. They learned about the effects of alcohol, distractions and careless driving plus they got to experience what it is like to lose control of a motor vehicle in 3 different situations.
One major point we tried to make was that teens must have as much 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, only 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.
Lack of experience is why teens are 5 times more likely to get into accidents than experienced drivers like you and me. And, it is your responsibility as a parent to make sure your teen gets this experience of driving in different situations.
Your TeenDriverInsurance.com agent provides what I consider an excellent tool in helping you accomplish this. 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 every teen must master.
This guide will help you make your teen's supervised driving time most effective. Contact your agent today to get a copy. It can really give your teen the experience and skill to come home safely every time they grab the car keys.
You can learn more tips and strategies on keeping your teen safe by visiting my Blog at www.parentalcourage.com.
Master Police Officer, James Poer has investigated countless accidents over the past 30 years. He is also a parent of 4 drivers and his experience and advice is priceless. Please visit his blog often to learn more about how you can make your teen a safer driver.
You can learn more about protecting your family and how you can keep your teen safe, visit www.teendriverinsurance.com.
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.
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.
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.
Driving is a Privilege... Not a Right
By Ret. Master Police Officer James Poer
As Americans, we often confuse what are our rights and what are our privileges. Teens… well, they really don’t have a clue.
Rights are something that every American has. We have the right to free speech… within the law. You can’t go into a movie theater and yell “fire”. We have the right to bear arms… again it must be used within the law. However, there is nothing in the Constitution that says we have the right to drive.
Every state gives us the privilege to drive and they can take it away if we abuse this privilege. As a parent of a young driver, you also have the ability to take away this privilege.
We have laws set by the US government. We have laws set by every state in this country. Every city has specific statutes that are really local laws. Your family has rules (or laws) within your household. But do you have specific rules for your teen driver to follow?
Sure, you may have talked about rules before and they may be based on what the state declares as a law, but do you have it in writing?
Simply discussing rules and the consequences of breaking a rule is one thing. Putting it in writing gives you much more power. Imagine if the President of the United States told us that we can no longer put jelly on our peanut butter sandwiches. Congress never passes the law and it was never put in writing. Do you think a judge could convict you if you put jelly on your peanut butter sandwich?
Okay, I may be reaching here but my point is, if you put in writing, it holds more weight. It shows your teen that you are very serious about your young driver’s safety and you will impose punishment for breaking the “Family’s Driving Laws”.
And don’t be afraid to take away privileges when these “laws” are broken. If you find out your teen has been driving while talking on the cell phone, driving with too many passengers, speeding, or any other dangerous action, take away privileges and be swift about it.
If your teen has agreed in writing, he or she will know that the consequences are going to be enforced!
You can download a FREE Parent/ Teen Driver Contract by visiting www.teendriverinsurance.com. There is also a Consequences Agreement where you can put in writing specifically what will happen if your young driver breaks certain rules.
Laws are put in writing to be respected and enforced. Your teen will hold greater respect for your family laws if they are in writing too.
As Americans, we often confuse what are our rights and what are our privileges. Teens… well, they really don’t have a clue.
Rights are something that every American has. We have the right to free speech… within the law. You can’t go into a movie theater and yell “fire”. We have the right to bear arms… again it must be used within the law. However, there is nothing in the Constitution that says we have the right to drive.
Every state gives us the privilege to drive and they can take it away if we abuse this privilege. As a parent of a young driver, you also have the ability to take away this privilege.
We have laws set by the US government. We have laws set by every state in this country. Every city has specific statutes that are really local laws. Your family has rules (or laws) within your household. But do you have specific rules for your teen driver to follow?
Sure, you may have talked about rules before and they may be based on what the state declares as a law, but do you have it in writing?
Simply discussing rules and the consequences of breaking a rule is one thing. Putting it in writing gives you much more power. Imagine if the President of the United States told us that we can no longer put jelly on our peanut butter sandwiches. Congress never passes the law and it was never put in writing. Do you think a judge could convict you if you put jelly on your peanut butter sandwich?
Okay, I may be reaching here but my point is, if you put in writing, it holds more weight. It shows your teen that you are very serious about your young driver’s safety and you will impose punishment for breaking the “Family’s Driving Laws”.
And don’t be afraid to take away privileges when these “laws” are broken. If you find out your teen has been driving while talking on the cell phone, driving with too many passengers, speeding, or any other dangerous action, take away privileges and be swift about it.
If your teen has agreed in writing, he or she will know that the consequences are going to be enforced!
You can download a FREE Parent/ Teen Driver Contract by visiting www.teendriverinsurance.com. There is also a Consequences Agreement where you can put in writing specifically what will happen if your young driver breaks certain rules.
Laws are put in writing to be respected and enforced. Your teen will hold greater respect for your family laws if they are in writing too.
IIHS Proposes Increasing Minimum Driving Age
By Tom Wiecek, President of the Society of Family Insurance Specialists
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety announced today 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 North Carolina 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.com.
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety announced today 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 North Carolina 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.com.
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