School is in full swing. Thousands of students throughout Berks County and Schuylkill County are in the classroom, and many of the older teenagers are driving on their own for the first time to and from school and to sporting events and other events in their local community and in areas as far away as Philadelphia and out-of-state as well. Currently, in Berks County, the Highway Safety Network (HSN), in conjunction with local police departments, is promoting a campaign to reinforce safe driving habits for teens.
Getting a driver’s license for the first time is a rite of passage and along with the freedom that having a license gives you comes the responsibility of being a safe and prudent driver. Recently, in Berks County and other counties throughout Pennsylvania, students have been welcoming representatives from the HSN Teen Driver Awareness program to learn more about impaired and distracted driving. It is important to keep in mind that teen drivers are at greater risk of fatal crashes due to their immaturity, lack of skills and lack of experience, and a greater tendency to speed, make mistakes, and become distracted.
To further support the communities we serve, the personal injuries attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., want to help by sharing all-important safety tips for teen drivers and their parents and guardians from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The following list of recommendations is provided by the FMCSA to help keep your teen stay safe as they head out on the road:
• Learn about your state’s graduated driving laws, which frequently include restrictions on night driving and the number of passengers that can be in a car with a teen driver. Make sure to enforce such guidelines for your teen.
• Speak candidly to your teen about the dangers of impaired driving (the use of drugs and/or alcohol) and that they should never get in a car with someone they suspect might have been drinking alcohol or using drugs of any kind.
• Be a good role model by practicing safe driving habits such as keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel at all times as well as obeying all traffic signs/devices.
• Take the time to go on practice driving sessions with your child and don’t rely solely on a driver’s education class to educate your teen about safe driving.
• Emphasize to your teens state laws against texting and driving as well as your own prohibition against it along with the consequences for doing so.
• Let your teen know that they and anyone riding in a car with them must wear their seat belt 100% of the time and let them also know that doing so could be the difference between life and death.
The attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., are concerned for the wellbeing of teens, school students, and their families throughout Berks County and Schuylkill County, and serve auto, truck, and motorcycle accident victims and their families in Reading, PA, Pottsville, PA, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia. Our legal team handles injury claims, including claims for serious injury and death caused by the negligence of other vehicle operators.
From the desk of Adam K. Levin, Esquire