Northwest Iowa — This is National Teen Driver Safety Week.
Trooper Kevin Krull with the Iowa State Patrol says car crashes are the leading cause of death for our youth. He says they have 10 points in their campaign to keep teen drivers safe. And the first four are the same points as in their “Side With Us” campaign.
He says seatbelts not only save lives, but they prevent serious injury. He says back seat passengers need to buckle up as well, otherwise in a crash they become projectiles and hit those who are buckled up.
He gives teen drivers and their parents more advice.
Another of their safety points for teens is to limit nighttime driving.
Krull says the other points are —
Limit the passengers in their vehicle as more passengers mean more distractions and more opportunities for injuries if there is a crash. Watch the weather and road conditions, especially since teens often lack experience driving in adverse conditions. Drive the “right” car. He says the older cars teens often drive may need mechanical attention and have fewer safety features. Finally, Krull says parents should create rules for their teens such as no driving or riding with someone that has been drinking or using drugs and no driving when they’re tired or upset. He says parents should have consequences for breaking the rules and stick to them.
