In late May, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, issued a new report which indicates that two out of three people hurt or killed in auto accidents involving teen drivers are people other than the driver. The AAA report indicates that auto accidents involving teen drivers claimed the lives of 2,927 people and injured 371,645 in 2013. Almost half of the people hurt in those wrecks were in other cars. Of those killed in the crashes, 30 percent were in another car, and 27 percent were riding in the teen driver’s car.

The good news from the report is that the number of Missouri teen drivers involved in fatal auto accidents was 111 in 2013, down from 127 in 2012 and down from 223 a decade ago.

Summertime increases the risks of teen driving because more teen drivers are on the streets. As Poplar Bluff auto accident attorneys, we routinely see the horrific injuries and other harms caused by auto accidents, many of which are preventable.

AAA encourages parents to prepare their teen drivers for summer driving by helping to educate their teen drivers. Here are five ways AAA suggests parents can help their teen drivers:

1. Understand Missouri licensing laws: In Missouri, first-time drivers from 15-18 must obtain an instructional permit and then a restricted license before they can get a full driver license. The Missouri Department of Revenue has a great summary of the drivers licence laws.

2. Maintain Auto insurance: Make sure your teen driver is added onto to your auto insurance policy.

3. Require Drivers Ed: Make sure your teen driver has taken a drivers ed course, either through school or a private provider and that he/she is knowledgeable about the rules of the road and understands how to operate a car.

4. Coach them up: As a parent, you know your teen driver best. Assess whether your teen is mature enough and able to drive safely. Teach your teen driver at every opportunity to buckle up and to be observant behind the wheel. When you ride with your teen driver, discuss the importance of obeying traffic laws, avoiding speeding texting while driving, and other basic driving precautions.

5. Eliminate distractions: Don’t allow your teen driver to use a cell phone while driving. Limit the number of people who can ride with your teen. Learn more at EndDD.org.

Safe drivers are less likely to be involved in auto accidents. Equip your teen drivers with the tools they need to succeed.