HOUSTON – As the new school year is getting ready to start, many high school students will not be taking the school bus anymore. Instead, they will be driving.
This morning on KPRC 2+ Now, traffic anchor Justina Latimer spoke with Joshua Zuber with AAA Texas and Katie Alexander with Texas Municipal Police Association to learn strategies on keeping those teens safe on the roads.
Zuber said the conversation can begin with parents sharing how they got their start.
“So many parents and family members are sometimes uncertain on how to talk to their teens about driving, but it can be a really easy conversation,” Zuber said. “Start off with talking about your experiences as an adult driver.”
He also said it’s important for teens to understand the responsibility that comes with being behind the wheel.
Alexander pointed out some of the major problems law enforcement agents are seeing with teen drivers.
“We are seeing a continuous increase in distracted driving. Unfortunately, now we have teenagers that have been around cell phones forever,” Alexander said. “We continue to have problems with drinking and driving amongst teenagers, and parents should know that any detectable amount is an arrestable amount if they are under the age of 21.”
She also said peer pressures among this age group cause bad decisions to be made.
“When teenagers are in the car together, they tend to take more risks,” Alexander said.
But Alexander believes the key for family members and parents to keep their teen driver safe is to have open communications.
Zuber recommends families sign a parent-teen driving agreement so everyone is on the same page regarding the rules of the road.