Making Summer Safe For Teen Drivers

This is the time of year when it's a good idea for parents to remind their teenagers to be careful when they get behind the wheel.

With so many distractions these days it's easy for teens to make mistakes that can cost them time in a hospital, or their life.

"It's because it's summer and school's out, kids have more free time and parents have given them the use of their vehicles," according to Marisa Moyers, Outreach Coordinator with T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital.

The word is getting out - from Children's Hospital to the officers who patrol our streets - that teenagers are going to be doing a lot of driving.

Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond said "we all know that the first six months to a year after a teen gets their license is the most dangerous."

The Sheriff's Lieutenant in the Traffic Division, Charles Lowry, said "they are inexperienced, there is freedom now because my parents are not with me and I can do want I want to."

That freedom often means teens drive faster, turn the radio up louder and get distracted by things like texting while driving. Last year 72 teens were admitted to the Erlanger Health system with serious car crash injuries, and so far this year 16 teens have been admitted, with one killed a few weeks ago in Ooltewah.

"Kids can make bad decisions, they don't have all the thought processes we have as adults but I don't want to put our kids in a box," Moyers said. "I want our kids to be safe and I want our parents to ask good questions of their kids."

To help make the driving experience a more safe one Ford has developed what they call MyKey technology specially designed for parents with teens. Parents get an administrative key, kids get their MyKey. Safety advocates demonstrated the technology Tuesday on a Mercury Mariner SUV.

Parents use the administrative key to program the vehicle to stay under 80 miles-per-hour and engage a device that prevents the wheels from spinning. The radio volume peaks at 44%. The MyKey technology makes it difficult to drive without a seatbelt on.

"It's going to mute the radio and it's going to give you a persistent seatbelt chime," according to Ryan Richetti of Ford Motor Company.

The car also chimes when it reaches speeds at points like 45 or 55 mph. While technology can help parents are the key to safe driving.

"Parents are 100% important, they have to set the parameters and they have to say this is what you're going to do, this is what you're not going to do," Lt. Lowry said.

If you would like more information about helping your teen become a safe driver, go to this site:

www.drivingskillsforlife.com