What can I do to help my teen be a safer driver? Gainesville accident lawyer gives tips.

 

A:

Trying to find another way to talk with your teen driver about driving safety?  A parent-teen driving contract may help.

 

As a Gainesville automobile accident attorney, I can tell you that this is an excellent question and I urge parents to talk with their teen driver and make a contract with them today.  Not only are teens at risk of death and serious lifelong injury in a car accident, they are even more likely to kill or injure other motorists. 

 

Shocking statistics like these make a long-lasting impression:

 

  • Texting while driving takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of a football field-completely blind.

 

  • According to a recent study, the presence of just one more male teen in a car nearly doubles the chance of a fatal crash.

 

  • Using lap/shoulder belts can reduce the risk of dying in a car crash by 45%. (Allstate Foundation contract.)

 

A driving contract may spark dialogue and remind teens that driving is a responsibility, not a right.  Teens and parents can jointly set limits, make rules, and decide on clear consequences.  Research shows that not only is the first year of driving especially dangerous, but driving remains the leading cause of death among teens nationwide.

 

For sample contracts, see the Allstate Foundation, CDC, and AAA.


For more information please see: 

Parent tips on teen driving safety in Florida 

What can I do to help make my teen child a more responsible driver? 

Florida Teen Video Contest - Be a Teen Activist

Gainesville crash attorney explains the costs of TBI





We at the Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon and Associates strongly believe that public education is the first step in the prevention of an accident or in the recovery from one.  

We are experienced personal injury attorneys, trial lawyers, negotiators, litigators, paralegals, and staff that have been proudly working to get accident victims the justice they deserve for over 30 years in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, and the rest of North Central Florida and North Florida. Accidents involving a car crash, truck wreck, and motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents, dog bites, slip and falls and medical malpractice are all included in our practice.

Based on Jeffrey Meldon's, founder of The Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon & Associates, over 30 years of helping accident victims get justice and a fair shake from the insurance companies, he has written the consumer guide book, Seven Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Florida Accident Case.  You can request your free, no obligation copy right now, or contact our office for your complimentary copy sent to you today.

Contact the Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon at (800) 373-8000 or (352) 373-8000 immediately if you have been involved in a serious auto, truck, or motorcycle accident.  We are in your community, have the experience and resources required to work towards obtaining a fair settlement for you - we are here to help you.

We proudly handle accidents that occur on all roads and in the areas including: I-75, I-10, I-95, U.S. Route 301, U.S. Route 441, State Road 40, State Road 26, State Road 24, Archer Road, Main St, and University Avenue.  Our law firm has  been representing accident victims in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, Palatka, Crystal River, Daytona Beach, Interlachen, Spring Hill, Dunnellon, Bunnell, Live Oak, Starke, Jasper, Cross City, Perry, Trenton,  Leesberg,  Lake Butler,  Tavares, Chiefland, Bronson, Brooksville, The Villages and the counties of Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Citrus, Volusia, Sumter, Levy, Lake, Bradford, Flagler, Hamilton, Dixie, Gilchrist, Union, Hernando, Suwannee, Union, and Putnam, and, since 1971!