For many parents, the idea of buying your teen a new car is frightening. If your son or daughter’s new drivers license wasn’t enough, buying them their own car grants an unparalleled freedom that is at times difficult to monitor. That’s why many families draft a parent-teen safe driver contract to assure safe driving decisions even when you’re not in the car. But it’s also important to research the safest cars on the market, to assure that your teen driver will stay safe even if something unpredictable happens. Over the past year, Consumer Reports has done a great job of highlighting safe cars for teen drivers, with a special emphasis on affordability.

In March, for example, Consumer Reports isolated 8 models that could all be purchased for under $12,000. The next month, the Wall Street Journal released its own list of safe cars for teens. Surprisingly, the two lists had no overlaps, due largely to the fact that the WSJ didn’t take cost into account. So if you’re looking to save a bundle while keeping your teenager safe on the roads, refer to the Consumer Reports list. And their new list of safe, fuel efficient cars provides a new point to consider, for those who want to save on gas prices and reduce their carbon footprint.

This new list focuses on small, fuel efficient cars, noting that “their structure has improved to provide better impact absorption and occupant protection, and they now are commonly equipped with standard key safety features, such as antilock brakes, side-curtain air bags, and stability control.” This is a major step forward, and a sign that cars can fulfill a triple whammy: safe, affordable, and easy on the environment.

We cross listed the first Consumer Reports list of safe cars under $12,000, and the new list that highlights small, fuel efficient cars, and found four overlaps: the Hyundai Elantra, the Mazda3, the Scion xB, and the Volkswagen Jetta. Thus, from a non-scientific perspective, these makes and models would be fantastic affordable and fuel efficient options to keep your teen driver safe behind the wheel.

Want to share your stories about teen driver safety? Or do you have a car suggestion? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, or on our Facebook page.

Photo credit: theKCB

Before this week, North Dakota remained one of the few states with no law banning texting or the use of handheld cell phones. Most states, including California, can only enforce distracted driving laws if the driver has first been pulled over for another offence. But the new bills will transform North Dakota into one of the states toughest on distracted drivers, by calling the action a primary offence, meaning an officer can stop any vehicle in which texting behind the wheel is evident. Texts will carry a $100 fine, and talking on the phone will be a $30 or $50 fine, depending on what the officer sees as appropriate.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has made the prevention of distracted driving a key priority of his administration. But while the more populated states like California and New Jersey have embraced laws against the dangerous practice, some rural areas have said it wasn’t necessary in their case. For this reason, North Dakota’s new distracted driving laws could be a major win for the prospects of stricter distracted driving laws nationwide, and support for the idea – which LaHood has supported – of turning the issue into a primary offense.

But for now, we’re just glad to see North Dakota get on the anti-distracted driving bandwagon. Congratulations and stay tuned for more information on Distracted Driving Awareness Month!

Photo credit: poka0059

Car Talk’s Paul Atchley puts it well. “The sad truth is, distracting technologies also help to sell cars. If you’re a manufacturer, cars are all about profit – in fact, automobile companies have a fiduciary responsibility to make a profit,” he wrote. “Until consumers demand otherwise, we need to get ready for a lot of new 21st century cup holders. For those of us who spend our days working to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads, that’s an ominous sign.”

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said he hopes to reduce distracted driving injuries and fatalities by boosting enforcement of distracted driving laws and supporting a federal law against the dangerous practice. But so far, these measures have shown limited success in Congress. So what can we do to reduce these accidents before lawmakers get around to passing such legislation?

Well, distracted driving remains a secondary offence here in California and in most states, meaning that you can only get a ticket for it if you are pulled over for something else. But, as Gary Richards of the San Jose Mercury News notes, accident victims can currently subpoena phone and text records. So if you suspect that the accident occurred while the other driver was distracted on his or her cell phone, you can prove it in court and receive the damages you deserve. Of course, that would require a lawsuit, which can take months and even years to wrap up.

On thing is certain: distracted driving technology will continue to grow, making distractions easier and potentially less safe. You can’t control the safety habits of other drivers, but you can make the personal decision to stay safe behind the wheel and avoid distracted driving.

Photo credit: Mike Babcock

I always watch these videos with a bit of apprehension. They’re designed to create sympathy for the car accident victims, so there’s always a sense that these characters you are beginning to like are headed for impending doom. But when it comes to distracted driving awareness, that’s appropriate to a certain extent. Even when people know the deadly statistics of distracted driving, no one thinks it can happen to them. And fortunate, each of the 180 Film Contest finalists are done tastefully and stick to the subject at hand.

View the winning distracted driving video below. And visit the 180 Film Contest webpage for the top five contenders in each category.

These types of accidents aren’t uncommon. Earlier this year in Philadelphia, an 84 year-old woman caused four accidents after she drove the wrong way down the freeway. And in 2003, an 89 year-old killed 10 and injured 70 when she drove her car into a California farmers market at 60 miles per hour. Although older drivers are generally more cautious than other age demographics and obey traffic signs and signals, the unstoppable force of aging could make them unable to control their vehicles safely.

Taking the keys away from older drivers is a controversial issue, much more difficult than imposing additional regulations on teen drivers. Once one has the right to drive, it can feel like a violation of their freedoms to take it away. But more than 20 states have already implemented driving laws adding extra precautions before renewing the license of older drivers. Seven states including California, for example, require a vision test to renew one’s license after the age of 70.

The regulations are likely improve road safety, but they don’t do anything to make the transition for older drivers easier. Fortunately, family, senior advocacy organizations, and state offices can fill the gaps and provide alternate modes of transportation for people who can no longer drive safely. For additional help having the difficult conversation with your parents or arranging alternate modes of transportation for an older driver, visit our resource on the safety risks for older drivers.

Photo credit: Steve Snodgrass

The new report is positioned as a response to a 2003 study by scientists from the University of Utah. “Just like you put yourself and other people at risk when you drive drunk, you put yourself and others at risk when you use a cell phone and drive,” wrote the report’s lead author David Strayer. “The level of impairment is very similar.” Since, a growing number of scientists have endorsed these findings, and last year, Car and Driver Magazine tested the theory, finding that attention and reaction time was worse for distracted drivers than drunk drivers.

The more recent distracted driving study cross-referenced cell phone call data with California accident statistics over an 11 day period in 2005. As call frequency increased, the report found, accidents decreased. “People who start talking while driving become more cautious,” the report states. “People who act like jackholes behind the wheel with a cell phone will act the same way without one. And although cell phones clearly distract some drivers, they may also help other drivers stay alert.”

Gawker’s Jalopnik blog writes that this data “should cause some reflection among the zealous anti-phone and driving types,” and proves that “what seems like common sense isn’t always sensical when it comes to auto safety, despite what Oprah might think.” But the blog TechDirt doesn’t completely buy it. First of all, notes Mike Masnick, the report focuses only on the minutes directly before and after 9 pm. “I wonder what a similar study would show closer to rush hour…If the roads are less congested, then the ‘danger’ is probably much lower,” he writes. “Also, just because a phone is moving, it doesn’t mean the person holding it is driving – they could be passengers.”

So before we rush to false conclusions about the conventional wisdom surrounding distracted driving, let’s wait for a more comprehensive scientific study of the practice. In the mean time, I’ll refer to Secretary LaHood’s harsh words for past critics of his campaign to curb distracted driving. “Regardless of what a powerful lobbying group has to say, the simple fact is that texting and talking on cell phones behind the wheel is a deadly epidemic,” he wrote on his blog. “To suggest otherwise is to put your head in the sand. To spend considerable resources to suggest otherwise is a glaring waste.”

See also: State-by-State Map of Distracted Driving Laws

Photo credit: mrJasonWeaver

Dangerous Driving Conditions

The year’s final three months mark something of a perfect storm for car accidents. Not only are roads subject to adverse conditions due to rain, snow, and ice, but highway visibility is typically worse due to shorter daylight hours, pedestrians hit the sidewalks in search of holiday food and gifts, and families are more likely to travel long distances for winter holidays. For these reasons, October, November, and December account for a disproportionate forty percent of the year’s pedestrian accidents, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Each year, Thanksgiving weekend accounts for 35 vehicle deaths and more than 2,300 vehicle injuries. Of those, 15 deaths and 425 injuries were alcohol related.

Pedestrians can easily boost their safety by crossing streets at marked cross walks accompanied by traffic lights. But safety is much more complicated for vehicle drivers, who are subject to road conditions as well as visibility and traffic. For drivers, safety generally depends on a mixture of having the right equipment and staying aware of the road and other drivers. First of all, drivers living near icy conditions should make sure their tires are sufficient to brave winter conditions. Even some “all season” tires don’t make the cut, but Edmunds.com suggests that any tire with 6/32 inch deep tread will work. Other suggestions include improving visibility by minimizing frost, avoiding roads known to be icy, and understanding that a little steering goes a long way when it comes to slips and slides.

Some of these suggestions are more difficult when traveling long distances to your destination, but a good rule of thumb is to stick to major roads to avoid the worst conditions. That, combined with a healthy skepticism of road conditions and an awareness of other drivers, should get families to their destinations safely.

Mall Mishaps

Every year, primetime news programs are inundated with stories about tragic injuries resulting from crowds and even stampedes as consumers rush to the stores in search of deals on holiday items. Last year, one of the more publicized mishaps occurred when 78-year-old Terry Borowsky was shoved to the ground outside a Toys ‘R Us in Colorado. Reuters notes that Borowsky “wound up in a crowd chasing the Zhu Zhu, a toy hamster that your kids will forget about a few months after you give it to them.”

Each year, such incidents lead to more series injuries and even deaths. Two years ago, for example, a Wal-Mart employee was killed on Black Friday as consumers flooded the store. Two shoppers also injured by the mob later filed a $2 million lawsuit against New York’s Nassau County Police Department for its insufficient crowd control. Wal-Mart was also criticized for its lack of security monitoring the crowds.

Media frenzies aside, shoppers are subject to minor injuries due to slippery sidewalks or pedestrian accidents in or around mall parking lots. About 21,000 children under the age of 5, for example, are taken to emergency departments for injuries related to shopping carts each year according to National SAFE KIDS Campaign. Just like drivers, pedestrian consumers should always look out for dangerous conditions and be aware of other shoppers, crowds, and cars.

Injuries Caused by Holiday Decorations

Holiday decorations and lights are more dangerous than you may think. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year, these trinkets are responsible for more than 12,000 emergency room visits due to falls, cuts, and shocks.

Children are most susceptible to some of these injuries, since they are often curious about new items and don’t understand the consequences of mishandling holiday decorations. For houses with small children, therefore, the CPSC suggests that parents avoid purchasing any sharp or breakable decorations, and keeping anything small out of reach of children to avoid the risk of swallowing or choking on them.

Decorating a Christmas tree can be a cumbersome task when a bulky tree and wobbly ladder are involved. Decorators should always ensure that the ladder is on solid ground and have a friend or family member hold it still to avoid falls that could lead to serious injuries.

Fires & Burns

Juggling dozens of platters full of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other delicious holiday foods, the danger of kitchen burns is apparent. To avoid such burn injuries, all chefs and sous-chefs should have plenty of oven mitts near by and avoid carrying heavy platters or trays without help.

What is less expected, though surprisingly common, are burns and fires related to holiday lights and Christmas trees. Each year, the US Fire Administration reports, holiday fires kill more than 400 Americans and injure more than 1,600, causing a total of $990 million in damages. The USFA suggests a number of simple precautions to help avoid the risk of holiday fires. If you are choosing a live Christmas tree, for example, ensure that the branches have not been dried out, and avoid placing it near a fireplace or furnace. If choosing a fake tree, make sure the label confirms that it is non flammable (the same goes for tree decorations).

The USFA also cautions against overloading electrical circuits, and using old or damaged wires electric decorations. Such actions increase the risk of sparks and resulting fires. Read the USFA guidelines for complete fireproofing instructions.

When it comes to driving conditions, overcrowded shopping malls, and dangerous or flammable holiday decorations, take extreme caution this holiday season in order to keep your family safe. But also remember to have a great time with family and friends, enjoy the delicious food, and usher in a fantastic 2011.

It probably comes as no surprise that brain size does not equal intellectual or emotional maturity. A growing consensus among the scientific community about teen brain development has revealed the precise implications this fact has for teen drivers. Although the brain is 80 percent developed at adolescence, new research indicates that brain signals essential for motor skills and emotional maturity are the last to extend to the brain’s frontal lobe, which is responsible for many of the skills essential for driving.

The new research, first released by the National Institute of Mental Health, suggests that emotional immaturity, not inexperience, is the primary reason that teenage drivers are responsible for far more car accidents than any other age demographic.  The most important aspect of brain development for drivers is the spread of white matter, the process that helps brain cells communicate more efficiently. The first and second stages of brain development, which occur before people become adults, over-produces brain cells, but lacks an adequate mechanism to process them.

When adults reach age 20, white matter begins to spread, from the back of the brain forward, usually completing this process between 25 and 30 years of age. The section of the brain most responsible for driving skills is the frontal lobe (shown above), which manages the body’s motor skills, emotional maturity, and aversion to taking risks. A dearth of white matter here explains why teenagers are much more likely to speed, disobey traffic signs, and lose control of their vehicles.

The white matter revelation has led some safety experts to suggest raising the minimum driving age to 18. But others have said this is an unnecessary change that would place an undue burden on parents. What’s more common is a push for the implementation of stricter graduated licensing laws, which would impose a multi-tiered licensing system to ease teenagers in to the responsibilities of driving without a parent in the car. The NHTSA recommends that each state implement a three-tiered graduated license system. This would begin with a learner’s permit, progress to an intermediate license with certain limitations, and conclude with an unrestricted license.

California’s graduated license program stipulates that teenagers can get their drivers permit at 15 years and six months, at which time they can only drive with a parent or guardian. Once the driver turns 16, he or she is eligible for a restricted license, with which the driver must be accompanied by an adult over 25 for the first twelve months and cannot drive between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am during that period. In 2006, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety estimated that the graduated license laws had already reduced accidents for 16 year-olds by 23 percent, preventing more than 8,000 accidents and injuries involving teenagers.

That’s the philosophy behind Volkswagon’s new internet campaign dubbed “The Fun Theory,” which posits that “something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.”

Under this mission, the German automaker asked internet users to submit multimedia shorts about improving driver behavior. The winning entry declared that in addition to being punished for disobeying traffic laws, good drivers should be rewareded for their actions. Here’s how it would work: every time a driver received a traffic ticket, a portion of his or her fine would go toward a prize for a citizen caught on camera driving safely. As Dennis Yang over at TechDirt writes, “a $500 ticket definitely stings, but a $500 ticket PLUS a little note that had you not been speeding, you could have won $10,000 instead? Ouch, that hurts a lot more.”

See the winning video here:

For this reason, it’s up to individual families to ensure that their sons, daughters, and siblings are driving more safely than is required by law. That means pledging to curb cell phone use behind the wheel, limiting the number of passengers in your car, and being conscious of when and where you drive. GJEL Accident Attorneys suggests that parents draw up a Parent-Teen Safe Driving Contract with their teenagers before the summer starts. “As summer vacation begins, we traditionally see an increase in traffic accidents and fatalities among young people,” says GJEL Managing Partner Andy Gillin. “In our effort to keep families and other motorists safe, our firm has created this free discussion guide to elevate attention on teen driver safety among parents and young adults.”

The contract is available in two forms, PDF and Microsoft Word so that families can alter the guidelines to fit their values and house rules. “We suggest parents establish a reward if the contract is fulfilled and a consequence when teens break their pledge to be a safe motorist,” said Gillin. The goal of this contract is to help raise awareness about the legal driving practices that are allowed by law. Fortunately families can supplement the slow progress of Congress, which has not yet caught up to technology when it comes to road safety laws.

Visit the GJEL News and Resources Center to download the contract in addition to other important documents like a Car Accident Preparedness Checklist to keep in your glove box. Good luck, and contact us with stories about your experiences with the contract.