Stay Safe on the Roads This Memorial Day Holiday

Stay safe by sharing the road

We have all encountered scenarios in which other drivers make us shake our heads. People often are quick to accuse other drivers of being reckless, but if pressed, they may admit to sometimes driving recklessly themselves. If unsafe driving is everyone’s problem, what is the solution?

Our safety professionals have put together three tips that can help make sharing the road safer while getting from point A to B.

Assume you are invisible
It can be easy to assume everyone else on the road is paying attention, following traffic laws, and can see you clearly. However, that is not always the case. Next time you are expecting another driver to respect your right-of-way or let you merge into another lane, do not assume they are on the same page.

Avoid competitive driving
Whenever you are on the road, resist the urge to drive competitively. Instead, go with the flow and drive defensively. See yourself as part of a community of drivers – all trying to get to your destinations safely. Your improved driving behavior may rub off on others and help create safer conditions for everyone on the road.

Control your emotions
It may be easy to react to aggressive driving by becoming aggressive yourself. But taking the high road is often the best route. Someone cuts you off? Take a deep breath and just let it roll off your back.

Here are some ways to help prevent your emotions from getting the best of you on the roadway:

• Be patient when traffic delays slow you down.
• Keep a safe following distance behind other vehicles. You never know when someone may stop short.
• Avoid confronting aggressive drivers—be polite and courteous, even if others are not.
• Use your turn signals and leave plenty of room when turning or changing lanes.

Contact Long’s Insurance Agency today for all of your auto insurance needs…  A free no hassle quote will give you strong peace of mind that you are protected on your next road adventure.  Contact us Today!!

 

Source: Travelers

Teen Driving: Keeping your Teen Safe

How to Keep Your Teen Safe Behind the Wheel

Parenting teenagers has never been more challenging. In addition to raising your teen to become a good person and a responsible adult, parents today need to help their teens navigate a variety of risks including drinking and drugs, social media, and the complexities inherent in friendships and romantic relationships. With all of these factors to worry about, it can be easy to forget that the biggest risk facing your teen is parked right outside of your house. Incredibly, traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for teenagers in America. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle accidents are the cause of 35% of teen deaths every year, and mile for mile, teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

There are a number of factors that contribute to teen driving fatalities:

• Inexperience and immaturity
• Excessive speed
• Drinking and driving
• Not wearing seat belts
• Distracted driving (cell phone use, loud music, other teen passengers, etc.)
• Drowsy driving
• Nighttime driving
• Drug use

Parent Involvement Is Critical

The good news is that many teen driving accidents are preventable, and parents have a key role to play in keeping their teens safe behind the wheel. A recent National Young Driver Survey found that teens with authoritative parents (defined as those who are highly supportive and involved, set rules, and monitor) engaged in fewer risky driving behaviors and had half the crash risk as compared to other teens. In addition teens with involved parents are:

• Twice as likely to wear seat belts
• 70% less likely to drink and drive
• Half as likely to speed
• 30% less likely to use a cell phone while driving

The takeaway? Make sure you are talking with your teen and setting expectations for their driving.

How You Can Help

There are a number of specific things parents can do to reduce the chances that their teens will be involved in auto accidents:

1. Set Clear Rules: Make sure to let your teen know what your expectations are and explain the rationale behind them.
2. Focus on Safety: Let them know that you are setting these rules to keep them safe and not simply to control them.
3. Reward Good Behavior: If your teen follows your rules and maintains a good driving record, introduce new privileges (such as driving after dark).
4. Be Supportive: Peer pressure is tough, and your teen may find themself getting pressured to engage in behavior that violates your rules. As a parent, you can make things easier by letting your teen’s friends know what the rules are and then acting as a scapegoat (“I can’t do that, my parents would ground me!”), or by establishing a code word with your teen (if they call and mention the word, come and pick them up right away and with no questions asked).
5. Communicate: Communication is critical. Talk to your teen and make sure you know where they are going and why, how they plan to get there, and how they will get home. If you (or they) don’t feel confident that they have a plan in place to get safely there and back, offer a ride.
6. Lead by Example: Even though teens might not admit it, parents really are important role models. Make sure that you practice safe driving. Don’t talk on your cell phone or text while driving, obey the speed limit, don’t drive if you’ve been drinking, and don’t drive aggressively.

One of the best ways to clearly establish and communicate expectations is through the use of a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement. Use this template provided by the Centers for Disease Control or create your own. Either way, make sure your expectations are set out in writing, and then both you and your teen should sign the agreement. Having a clear set of expectations and communicating often about them are the best ways to keep your teen safe on the road.

 

Source: Texas Associates Blog

It’s National TeenDriving 2013 Week

Teen Driving=Big Responsibility

Cruising down the strip in my mini-van, windows down, friends in tow, listening to some sort of 90’s hair band without a care in the world…now that was the life. I remember how fun it was to finally turn 16, drive around the town feeling 100 feet tall because I was an adult (in my eyes). I don’t remember seeing my parents act nervous or scared…although I’m sure after I pulled out of the driveway they were a nervous wreck.

Driving as a teenager carries a hefty amount of responsibility and when your child smiles big for that first license picture, your stomach may drop. Chances are you have heard the stories, seen the statistics or maybe firsthand witnessed teenage driving accidents. That’s because traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In fact, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

The NHTSA reports that each year more than 5,000 teens (ages 16-20) are killed in passenger vehicle crashes and during 2006 a teen died in a traffic crash an average of every hour on weekends and once every two hours during the week.

Don’t let these statistics keep your teen in the house forever, but set some rules that reiterate the importance of responsible driving. I think I did a pretty good job as a teen. I credit it to the fact that our grandparents lived with us and I drove them back and forth to McDonalds every night. Besides anticipating the delicious hamburgers, I remember thinking that I had to drive carefully because I didn’t want anything to happen to them. Whether your teen has a grandparent or younger sibling they are responsible for or are on their own, these tips should help point them in the right direction.

1. Buckle up always! The car shouldn’t even start before everyone in it has their seat belt fastened.
2. No alcohol or drugs. Explain the consequences of being caught with alcohol or drugs in their vehicle and that they are responsible for what is in the car, even if it is not theirs. (That one seemed to help me say no to my peers a lot in high school.)
3. No texting or talking on the phone while driving.
4. Curfew: Think about heading home when it starts getting dusk out.
5. Passengers: No more than one at a time.
6. No speeding.
7. Don’t drive while sleepy. According to the AAA Foundation, driving sleepy slows reaction time, impairs judgement and is similar to driving drunk.
8. Drive defensively.
9. Pay attention. (You would think this would come automatically, but even as adults we need to be reminded.)

Driving is an important responsibility and the way your teen learns to drive today is how they will drive tomorrow. Remind them that driving is a privilege—not to be taken lightly or for granted. Getting behind the wheel can be a great rite of passage…just make sure it’s the right passage they are driving down. How did you handle your teen driving years?

Stay safe wherever you choose to go on the road. Your safety is number one to us. For peace of mind on the road, Long’s Insurance Agency to talk about an auto insurance policy.  Servicing areas such as Boulder, Longmont, Firestone, and Westminster just to name a few.  Call us today!

Source: blog.foremost.com