Key Points for Safe Driving
Don’t expect to get the keys whenever you want. Your driving risk will probably never be higher than now. Your parents are right to require that you have a legitimate purpose for each trip. So, don’t get upset when your parents ask about your plans.
Don’t be overconfident. It takes about five years of experience to reach the skill levels of most drivers. Completing driver education doesn’t mean you have all the skills and experience you’ll need for driving safely. Overconfidence in your knowledge and skills will increase your chance of a crash.
A Word About SAFE
A cooperative effort sponsored by AAA Kansas and the Kansas Department of Transportation to increase restraint compliance through positive rewards and strong enforcement messages.
- If the driver is belted … the child is belted 92% of the time.
- If the driver is NOT belted … the child is belted only 23% of the time.
"Recently, I was dispatched to the scene of a rollover crash with one occupant. The vehicle was still resting on its top when I arrived. The driver was sitting alongside the roadway being helped by a passerby. I could see obvious injuries to her arm as there was blood around the elbow and hand. I recognized her as a 17-year-old who attends high school with my daughter. I asked, 'Were you wearing your seatbelt?' She looked at me and said, 'You know I was, Sandy, I attended your Seatbelts are For Everyone class.' I followed the ambulance to the hospital and waited until her mom arrived. Mom told me she always wears her seatbelt now, and she makes sure everybody else does, too. Had she not been wearing her seatbelt, this teen would have suffered serious injuries or died." — Sheriff Sandy Horton, Crawford County, Kansas
Continue Practice Driving
- Build your skills. Your parents should continue to practice supervised driving with you — especially if you haven’t banked 100 hours yet. Ask them to help you practice in new driving conditions and on new roads, including highways, city streets and country roads.
- Be patient. Your parents are probably concerned that you’re on the road alone, so they may tag along on trips even when you don’t want them to. So, be patient with them and use the time to keep learning.
- Practice virtually. Offered by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Driver-ZED is a computer program to help you practice driving on your PC as well as on the road — it’s a lot safer to make mistakes in a virtual environment than in the real world.
Additional resources:
- AAA StartSmart – A series of newsletters that address the challenges teens face when learning to drive.
- Becoming the New Driver – Designed for teens, this brochure outlines tips and responsibilities of being a safe driver.
- Driver-ZED – Offered by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Driver-ZED is a computer-based program to help you practice driving on your PC.
