Teen Safe Driving Tips
It’s that time of the year – School is ending, and summer fun begins. Now is the time to make sure everyone is aware of what it means to be safe on the road. For most families this may be the first summer teenagers are taking the keys to the family car and hitting the road with friends and family in tow. It is crucial to prepare teenagers for the road with safety tips to keep themselves and others safe and arriving at their destination.
We asked our friends at Chevrolet to help us with the best safety tips for teenagers and share the latest auto technology that is making our streets safer. Maureen Bender, Chevrolet Communications representative, talked with us and here are the tips she has to keep teens (really all of us) aware, focused and connected with the car and the road when traveling.
Chevrolet Safety Tips
1. Create awareness: Take the time to sit down with your loved ones and make sure they’re aware that car tragedies peak during the summer. Knowledge is critical, so be sure the whole family knows the statistics and takes the time to get to know their rides, maintenance needs, and in-vehicle technology.
2. Remember the basics: While newer vehicles offer advanced safety technologies, recent research from NHTSA shows that deaths resulting from speeding and lack of seatbelt use are on the rise. Just these two incredibly simple things – observing speed limits and always making sure everyone is wearing a seat belt – will help you and your family stay safe.
3. Remind your family to speak up: Encourage your children to speak up if they are in a situation where safe driving practices are not being demonstrated. Summer often means your kids will be in the car with friends and family without you. No matter what age your children are, they must know it’s OK to remove themselves from dangerous driving situations.
4. Put your phone away: We know it can be tempting to pick up your mobile device while in your vehicle, but don’t do it. Make use of your vehicle’s available connectivity features like Bluetooth and hands-free calling and keep your eyes on the road. And remember your kids are watching everything you do, so modeling good behavior helps them develop good driving behaviors, too.
5. Take advantage of all the tech available: Having a teen driver today can be extremely stressful, but thanks to some of the latest technology, it’s also filled with less uncertainty than it used to be. Vehicles today have the ability to provide a report card of your driving’s behaviors and send text alerts when your teen’s vehicle has gone outside of a pre-determined area. Vehicles also have features to help remind parents that they may have left something in the back seat. Making sure you’re aware of everything your car can do to help you keep your family safe is key.
Here at Travel Bags With Annita & Friends, we know a favorite gift for the graduate is a car! It’s always top of the list. And, who doesn’t want to receive a beautiful shiny new automobile with a big red bow? While style and road-appeal are essential, remember what is most important are the safety features.
We asked our friends at Chevrolet to fill us in on their latest auto technology. Chevrolet’s fleet of automobiles offers excellent choices for the graduate. Style, safety and of course within the budget.
Chevrolet has the impressive technology to help parents keep an eye on teen drivers. Isn’t that the car you want your teen driving? Here’s Maureen’s advice for selecting a vehicle for the graduate or teen just getting their hands on the keys.
Teen Driver Technology
– Teen Driver is an industry first built-in system that lets parents view a report card that shows how their young driver drove the vehicle.
– The report card shows maximum speed reached, distance driven and the number of times available active safety features was engaged.
– The in-vehicle report card shows information about your teen’s driving, so you can identify potential problem areas and coach your new driver on improvements.
How it Works:
– A parent needs to enable the feature by creating a PIN in the “Settings” menu of their available MyLink system, which then allows them to register their teen’s key fob in the system.
– When active, Teen Driver automatically mutes the radio until front safety belts are fastened. Additionally, the radio system’s maximum volume can also be set to a lower level.
Parents have the option of enabling the following:
Custom speed alert – Set audible and visual warnings when the vehicle is traveling over a preselected speed.
Speed limiter – Set a speed limiter that restricts maximum vehicle speed to 85 mph.
Audio limit – Set limit on the volume of the radio.
Seat belt audio mute – Automatically mutes the radio/audio until the driver and front passenger are wearing their seat belts
If equipped, these are the safety features that are automatically turned on and incapable of being manually turned off when Teen Driver is activated:
Stability Control
Front and Rear Park Assist
Side Blind Zone Alert
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Forward Collision Alert
Daytime Running Lamps / Automatic Light Control
Forward Collision Braking
Traction Control
Front Pedestrian Braking
Here’s a video of Teen Driver features. http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/bcportal.html/currentVideoId/5526736865001.html
Forgetting things in the back seat is ok when it’s just your bookbag or purchases from the store. But what happens when you are responsible for picking up a younger relative or the dog from the vet’s office. Chevrolet has an answer which can help us all remember, “what’s in the back seat?”
Rear Seat Reminder Technology
– Chevy offers technology that helps give customers a little-added peace of mind – from a suite of available active safety features and OnStar services to Teen Driver and Rear Seat Reminder.
– Rear Seat Reminder, an industry-first feature is designed to remind drivers to check the back seat as they exit their vehicle, under certain circumstances.
How It Works
– The Rear Seat Reminder feature works by monitoring the rear doors of the vehicle. The feature is intended to activate when either rear door is opened and closed within 10 minutes before the vehicle is started, or if they are opened and closed while the vehicle is running.
– Under these circumstances, the next time the vehicle is turned off after a door activation, the vehicle is designed to sound five audible chimes and display a message in the driver information center that reads, “Rear Seat Reminder/Look in Rear Seat.”
– The feature cannot detect items in the backseat, so it is always important to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle.
Find out more information about Chevrolet when you visit their website. www.chevrolet.com
And, listen to the interview with Maureen on WDUN AM 550. Here’s the link – enjoy!
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