Help bust some teen driving myths

Teen Driving Safety Week kicks off Sunday, and brokers can add their voices to those of concerned parents by sharing these myth-busting facts.

Risk Management News

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Teen Driving Safety Week kicks off Sunday as part of a State Farm initiative, and brokers can add their voices to those of concerned parents by sharing these myth-busting facts.

Whether it's drinking or getting high behind the wheel, or driving while texting, many teenagers don't realize how unsafe these behaviors are.
“Being a teenage driver isn't easy. You're developing a new skill, learning the rules of the road and susceptible to peer pressure, which means you may be more likely to fall victim to myths,” says Natalie Dupuis, senior product manager, auto, RBC Insurance. “The consequences of making a mistake on the road can have deadly consequences or cause life-long injuries.”

Driving mistakes have an impact on insurance, and with teens involved in an accident, those premiums bumps can be substantial, upwards of 50 per cent.
“Getting the facts and knowing what types of mistakes you're most likely to commit can help teens make the right driving decisions,” says Dupuis.

While a number of these activities are already illegal, many dangerous driving misconceptions still persist. RBC Insurance offers these top five most common driving misconceptions.

Myth: I can safely text or talk on my phone while driving or stopped at a red light. After all, it only takes a few seconds.
Fact: Cell phones are a significant distraction for drivers, and can increase the risk of collision considerably. Drivers text messaging are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash event compared with non-distracted drivers.

Myth: I've only had one drink so I'm fine to drive.
Fact: Any amount of alcohol impairs driving and increases the risk of collision. Even one drink can cloud your thinking, dim your vision and slow your reflexes. Alcohol also affects your attention span, alertness and coordination. A driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.10 per cent is 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a driver with no blood alcohol.

Myth: Driving under the influence of pot is not as bad as alcohol.
Fact: Your driving ability can be impaired by pot just as much as it's impaired by alcohol, as it impacts your ability to concentrate and lowers your reaction time. In fact, drivers between 16 and 24 years old are equally split between drinking-driver fatalities (27.6 per cent) and drug-positive driver fatalities (26.9 per cent).

Myth: Eating/applying make-up/changing my music while driving isn't a distraction.
Fact: It may be tempting to multitask, but teens should focus all of their attention on the road. Every time you take your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, you put yourself and others in danger. A recent study shows that 80 per cent of all collisions occur when drivers look away for three seconds or less.

Myth: Parents have little influence over their teens' driving habits.
Fact: Parents are one of the greatest influences on their teens' driving habits, behaviors and skills. One of the best ways you can help your children become better drivers is to practice safe driving behaviors yourself – wear your seatbelt, obey all traffic signs and focus on the road. 

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