
David Burrows
The Realities of Young Drivers

The fact is, it's costly to add a young driver, even when nothing else has changed on the policy. Risk impacts premium, and young drivers are risky. This may be surprising to parents, so here are a few reasons to help explain why.
Inexperience:
Leading cause of teen crashes
Three most commons errors due to experience:
Lack of scanning the roadway
Driving too fast for conditions
Distraction by something inside/outside vehicle
Distractions:
Texting and talking on the phone (even hands free!)
Other distractions aren't high-tech: eating, reaching for something, putting on make up or checking out pretty scenery
Speeding:
Not just driving faster than the posted limit
Includes driving too fast in poor conditions
Teens don’t yet know how to adjust when traffic is moving faster or slower than the posted speed limit
Results in following too closely or unsafe passing
Impaired driving:
Often caused by alcohol
All 50 states have zero tolerance laws for underage drinking and driving
Driving without sleep can be like driving drunk
Teens need, but rarely get, eight to ten hours of sleep. Getting only six increases crash risk and being awake 18 hours is like having a blood alcohol content of .10 percent - that's higher than the legal limit for adults!