HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama law enforcement officers have a message for any adults with teen drivers in their life. They want you to speak to them about their driving habits and help keep them safe.
One in five teens involved in car crashes had been under the influence. That's according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Senior State Trooper Brandon Bailey says teens in particular have to drive for them and everyone else on the road. "We want to put the message out there that, hey, if you are driver, you're teen driver, guess who's responsible for everybody in the vehicle with you. You are. The driver."
Bailey says nine out of ten teens who were injured in crashes didn't have a seatbelt.
And Sgt. Chris Jackson with Huntsville Police says attention on the road also matters. "More 16 to 24 year olds die in traffic accidents than in any other course. So it's highly dangerous to drive a vehicle. It requires a lot of attention. Like I said, that inexperience factor with distraction is only going to make the accident. Chances way more likely."
And when you hear about distracted driving, you're probably thinking about cell phones. But there's other forms, such as eating, fiddling with a car radio, or, from one parent's experience, friends. Tina Taylor has three teens, ages 18, 16, and 15. She says, "You know, they'll, they'll be, say, on your way to school or something, and, 'Oh, look, there's my friend over there. Let me, you know. Hey, and be trying to get their attention or whatever.' And that is, that is definitely something that kids don't think about probably as much as they need to."
Alabama has a graduated drivers license for drivers under 18 that spells out how many passengers they can have in the car, what hours they can drive, and for what reasons they can drive. Breaking these rules can mean having the laws extended until the driver is 18 or, for a second offense, having their license suspended.
If you are concerned about your child and worry about how they drive, the message from Trooper Bailey is simple. "We want to give a direct message to the parents, you know, teen drivers safety starts at home. We want to encourage the parents, the guardians, mothers, fathers, relatives to sit down with you teen loved ones. When you talk to them about how important driver safety is, not only talking, but demonstrate good driving habits for them so they can mimic those behaviors."
For more tips on keeping keep drivers safe or more information on Teen Drivers Safety Week, click here.