How Chicago Parents Can Help Their Teenagers Drive Safely

It is natural for parents to be concerned when their teenagers are behind the wheel.

After all, teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in road accidents. However, the situation has improved over the past few years, especially in Illinois. Since the graduated driver’s license program took effect, the number of teenagers involved in fatal road accidents has decreased considerably. According to the Illinois Secretary of State's office, the state of Illinois has seen a decrease in teen driving deaths by 55 percent after the introduction of the graduated driver’s license program.

Safe Driving Awareness

Research shows that parents can a play a major role in helping their teenagers be aware of the importance of safe driving, right from the beginning of their adolescent years. A little effort from parents can go a long way to help reduce the number of teenage fatalities in Illinois.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Teen Drivers

Feeling sleepy while driving is a major reason why many teenage drivers get involved in a car accident. Parents can assist their teens to get enough sleep before going behind the wheel. Studies have shown that teenagers need more hours of sleep than adults do. However, it is common for teenagers to stay awake until late night to complete homework and extracurricular requirements. According to the Adolescent Journal of Health, only 8 out of every 100 high school students regularly gets 9 hour of sleep per night. Lack of sleep results in inattentiveness while driving and the consequences can be dangerous.

When teenagers feel sleepy or drowsy, they are likely to make mistakes while driving, says an article published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information. If a teenager starts driving after being awake for 17 hours, he or she is likely to perform as poorly as a drunk driver with a blood alcohol content of .05 percent. Researchers also found that early morning is a dangerous time to drive. Car accidents due to drowsy driving by teenagers occur mostly between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.

What Parents Can Do

Parents can encourage their kids to avoid using electronic devices at night. This will definitely help teenagers get more quality sleep. In fact, teens with more than three electronic devices in their bedrooms are likely to lose 30 minutes of sleep every night, says a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation.

If you have been injured in a car accident caused by negligence, contact Chicago car accident lawyer Matt Willens from Willens Law Offices as soon as possible to know your legal rights. Call us at (312) 957-4166.