Parents Should Place Restrictions on Teen Drivers

According to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s National Poll on Children’s Health, while parents report that they place significant restrictions on their teenage drivers, the teens themselves tell a different story. Teenagers report that their parents do not restrict their driving as much as they might think. Since teenagers are the drivers who are at the highest risk for crashes, fatal or otherwise, parents need to rethink the restrictions that they place on their children in order to prevent unthinkable tragedies.

Although nine of out of 10 parents report that they place restrictions on their teen’s driving, only 81% of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 report that their parents place at least one driving-related limit on them. The most common types of limits include the following:

• Limits on cell phone usage, such as not using cell phones at all unless parked, no texting while driving, and turning off or otherwise putting away cell phones while driving
• Limits on passengers, such as allowing only one or two friends in the car, allowing only certain friends in the car, or forbidding any teenage passengers altogether
• Limits on driving times and locations, such as no driving after 10:00 p.m., driving only to and from work, school, and activities, and refraining from driving on the highway

Furthermore, those parents who think that their children are “above-average” drivers are much less likely to place any limits on their teenage drivers. These parents constitute 32% of all parents. While parents are more likely to place limits on their teen’s cell phone usage while driving, they are much less likely to place limits about passengers and driving times or locations. In fact, as much as 25% of all parents report that they place no limits on teen passengers, nighttime driving, and highway driving.

The experienced Wisconsin personal injury attorneys of Boller & Vaughan are here to help you and your loved ones through the aftermath of severe injuries that may impact your life on a permanent basis. No matter how grave the injuries or death of your loved one may be, we can look into the facts and circumstances surrounding your claim, evaluate your likelihood of recovery, and determine the best path to follow in any legal claims that you may have. We know how to build a strong case on your behalf against those who acted negligently in causing your injuries. Take a moment to contact our office today and schedule a free initial consultation about any potential claim that you or your loved one may have.