Parents in New Jersey who have a new or soon-to-be teen driver are likely anxious about their child staying safe on the state’s roads and highways. Teens have an understandably high risk of being involved in a crash, whether they’re driving or one of their friends is.
It may be somewhat reassuring to learn that in a recent study by WalletHub, New Jersey came in third in the ranking of best states for teen drivers. It also had the third-lowest fatality rate for teen drivers.
What factors help determine whether teens drive safely?
Researchers considered a number of factors in making their rankings, including:
- Impaired driving and texting while driving laws
- Requirements for completing the graduated licensing program
- The number of driving schools
- Seatbelt use
An official with AAA notes that another important factor that determines how safely a teen will drive is whether their parents model safe driving behavior. While many parents start to pay special attention to their driving when they have a teen who is learning, the official says that kids are watching long before that. She notes that “children, as early as when they are still in car seats, are picking up the behaviors….” of their parents.
Part of learning to drive safely is learning to watch out for unsafe drivers and other hazards on the road. This can go a long way to avoiding a crash. However, if your teen is involved in a collision caused by another driver, it’s critical to work to ensure that they aren’t wrongly blamed for something that’s not their fault and that they get the compensation they deserve to cover medical costs and other expenses and damages. Getting experienced legal guidance can help protect their rights.