Editorial courtesy of Allstate Insurance

The carefree summer months – June, July and August – are also the three months with the highest teen crash rates in America. In addition, the number of traffic fatalities increases on holidays, making Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day dangerous weekends for teens on the road. Allstate Insurance Company encourages parents of teen drivers to have the “smart driving talk” to help keep teens safe this holiday weekend.

“Automobile crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens. Nearly 5,000 teens are killed and 300,000 injured annually,” said Tim Graham, an Allstate exclusive agent in Safford. “The good news is that parents can help teens think differently behind the wheel. In an Allstate Foundation study, 89 percent of teens said their parents are influential in encouraging safer driving. All parents have the opportunity to talk with their teens about making smart choices on the road, during the summer and throughout the year.” Allstate encourages parents to talk with their teens about smart driving ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Graham provides the following tips for having a conversation about driving:

• Know the risks. Teens are four times more likely to crash than older drivers, and 16-year-old drivers have the highest risk of all. Driver error and speeding – not alcohol – are the most common causes of fatal car crashes involving teen drivers. Distractions in vehicles play a significant role. Eliminating distractions such as texting, talking on the phone, changing the radio station and joking with friends can help save lives.

• Make your talks a dialog about driving. Remember teens are excited about driving – it is a fun topic for them. Don’t turn your talks into lectures; instead, make them open dialogues that show you understand the positive side of getting behind the wheel, and let your teens share their views and experiences at the same time.

• Know your state’s graduated driver licensing laws. These laws let a novice teen driver get on-the-road driving experience gradually, under lower-risk conditions. In a survey conducted by The Allstate Foundation, 60 percent of parents said they have never heard of or were only vaguely aware of GDL laws.

• Practice what you preach. Teens notice if parents are talking on the cell phone, speeding or cutting in and out of traffic. Make a conscious effort to serve as a positive role model for your new driver.

• Complete a Parent-Teen Driving Contract. Research indicates intervention materials, including parent-teen driving agreements, increase parental restriction of high-risk teen driving conditions among newly licensed drivers.

The Parent-Teen Driving Contract provides a place for parents and teens to sign and covers issues such as curfew and driving area limits, safety belts, number of passengers, paying for gas and insurance and drugs and alcohol.

“The great thing about the Parent-Teen Driving Contract is that it gives teens a voice,” Graham said. “They can talk about what they would find distracting, like loud music or having friends in the car. And they can help develop a safe driving plan over the Fourth of July weekend.”