Alabama Injury Lawyer Blog

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is now offering a new website to residents across the United States. What's so special about this new website, Keys2Drive: The AAA Guide to Teen Driver Safety, is that you can choose to view information that is specific to your state. That's right, the site offers information customized for Alabama.

Our Alabama injury attorneys understand how important this tool may be. It is critical for parents to work along with their teen as they learn how to drive. This website offers step-by-step instructions from choosing the right driver education program to deciding when solo driving should be permitted. This will help to ensure the safety of your teen on our roadways because you will know how to prepare them for every possible hazard.

Car accidents in Birmingham and elsewhere throughout the country are the number one cause of death for teens. Car accidents take the lives of more teens than homicide, suicide and cancer combined. It's just as deadly to send your teen off in a car with a sibling, a teenage neighbor or another teen driver. Research shows that even the smartest and most intelligent teens have an increased risk of being involved in a fatal accident. The only thing that may lower these risks is experience.

Tips for parents to help teach their young, teen driver:

-Lead by example. Always drive as you wish them to drive.

-Always wear your seat belt, use your turn signals and obey speed limits to illustrate the importance of abiding by roadways rules.

-Allow your teen plenty of supervised driving time.

-Allow them to drive in a number of conditions. While it may scare you now, it can help to ease your nerves later.

-Be sure you encourage your driver with positive reinforcement. Yelling at them while they're behind the wheel of a motor vehicle will only intimidate them and negatively affect their driving abilities. Give credit where credit is due.

-Stress the importance of not drinking and driving. Although they may not be old enough to drink, it doesn't mean that they won't.

-Talk with them about distracted driving or driving when not focused.

Alabama currently uses the three-stage licensing process for teens. This is a system that allows them to gradually be exposed to complex driving stations. At the age of 15 they are able to apply for a learner's permit. For this they have to visit their local driver exam office with a state-certified copy of the teen’s birth certificate, a Social Security card and acceptable proof of school enrollment or graduation. They then have to pass a written driver’s knowledge test and a vision test.

Next is the restricted license. When your teen turns 16, they will have had their learner's permit for at least 6 months and have completed at least 30 hours of supervised driving. Now they can apply for this intermediate license They also must pass a hands-on driving test, complete a vision test and provide proof of practice driving time. Legal guardians are to accompany their teen to the DMV because they are required to sign the application form.

Last is the unrestricted license. When your teen turns 17, they will be eligible for a full unrestricted license, but they must have held a restricted license for six months and have no violations.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Alabama witnessed nearly 100 teen drivers die as a result of car accidents across the state in 2009. With the proper education, exposure to driving conditions and enough supervised driving, we may have a better chance of saving the lives of teens on our state's roadways.