Most insurance companies charge young drivers higher insurance premiums because statistics show that young drivers do have higher rates of accidents. Over the past two decades, a number of initiatives have been launched to help prevent Florida car accidents involving young drivers. For example, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have created education campaigns to alert young drivers about the dangers of Florida drunk driving accidents. As well, legislators have passed laws requiring more training and placing additional restrictions on new drivers. Graduated licensing ensures that teens cannot
However, most experts agree that the way to prevent car accidents among young drivers is to include more training. There are many suggestions about adding more training for young drivers:
1) Defensive driver training. Defensive driving courses go one step further than basic driver education, by helping new drivers learn how to anticipate and avoid car collisions. Many parents already send their teens to defensive driving courses or even to racing school – which also teaches additional defensive driving skills. Insurance companies often encourage parents to pay for this type of additional training by offering insurance discounts to teen drivers with additional defensive driver training.
2) Decision training. Some experts believe that teens may be more likely to make poor decisions – such as the decision to drive while talking on a cell phone or the decision to overload a car with passengers – which older and more experienced drivers can resist. Teaching teens to make good decisions behind the wheel can help prevent Florida pedestrian accidents and traffic accidents, according to some experts.
3) Night driving training. Most driver education classes and all driver tests for licensing take place during the day, which means that most teens learn night driving through practice. Taking private night driving lessons with a trained driving instructor can help close the gap, but currently this additional training is not required.
4) Additional restrictions for new drivers. Young drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system and may face additional restrictions. Some legislators have suggested additional restrictions for young drivers – such as banning young drivers only from using mobile devices while driving.
5) Increasing the age for new drivers. Some Florida residents in years past have suggested that 16 years old is too young to be behind a wheel. In fact, across the country there have been campaigns to increase the driving age to 18. However, this is considered a very controversial suggestion.
6) Winter driving training. Most Florida residents do not need to worry about whiteout conditions, black ice, and other dangers of winter driving. However, some argue that winter driving skills should also be taught in Florida, since eventually Florida drivers may move or travel to other states where winter driving is a very different experience.
7) Longer in-car training hours. Most basic driver education courses require only a limited amount of in-car training. Some argue that these hours are not adequate to really teach teens to drive safely. Some Florida parents pay for additional private lessons for their children, to ensure one-on-one attention from a driving instructor and more supervised driving.
If you have been in a Florida car accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group law offices in Homestead, Hollywood, or Miami. Arrange for a free accident consultation with our experienced legal team to discuss your options and your rights.