Teen drivers reminded to not drive distracted or impaired during summer months
According to AAA, nearly 30% of fatal traffic crashes involving teen drivers in Georgia occur during a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day called “the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer.”
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Learning how to drive is a rite of passage that can be exciting for any teen driver, but while driving is a necessary skill, getting behind the wheel also has its risks.
Marquis Jordan has been driving since he was 13 years old. At age 19, he urges other teen drivers to put their seat belts on, always check their mirrors, not to speed and to stay alert.
“Stay safe. Always watch your surroundings,” Jordan said. “‘Cause you could get hit anywhere, anywhere on your blind side.”
With school out for summer and teen drivers hitting the road for night time or holiday travel, organizations like The American Automobile Association (AAA), the Lutzie 43 Foundation andthe National Safety Council want parents and teenagers to know how to stay safe while operating a vehicle.
According to AAA, nearly 30% of fatal traffic crashes involving teen drivers in Georgia occur during a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day called “the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer.”
Mike Lutzenkirchen is the Executive Director of the Lutzie 43 Foundation to end distracted driving. He started the foundation after his son, Phillip, was killed in a car crash with an impaired driver.
“Am I drug impaired, alcohol impaired, am I fatigued, am I emotionally impaired or am I technology impaired?” said Lutzenkirchen.
Those are questions any driver should ask themselves before getting behind the wheel of a car.
Lutzenkirchen says distracted driving is the number one cause of traffic fatalities involving teenagers. Devices like cell phones or entertainment systems can create distractions.
Under Georgia’s Hands-Free Law, drivers cannot have a phone in their hand or touching any part of their body.
“Put your phone down too,” Jordan said. “Hold that call, because they’re not that important. You can call them later on. Make sure you get them folks in the car straight first.”
Master Instructor for the National Safety Council at Right Start Driving School in Macon, Chico Scott, says teenage passengers can also be a distraction.
He recommends teens only drive with family members for the first six months after they receive their license.
“For each person that’s in a vehicle with us, we double that chance of being in a vehicle crash,” Scott said. “Why? Because peers try to influence our driving behavior.”
The more experience a teen driver has through an approved driver’s education course and with the supervision of a parent, the more prepared they’ll be to safely operate a vehicle.
Scott says parents can encourage safe driving by riding with their teen drivers and leading by example.
“Before your teenager becomes a learner’s license driver, they’re watching you drive. They’re being educated by what you do,” he said.
Parents interested in teaching their teens about defensive driving can sign up for a course through Right Start Driving School. The Lutzie 43 Foundation will also be hosting its Safe Driving Summit for high school students on September 13 at Central Georgia Technical College in Macon.
