Cars.com And DriversEd.com Name 10 Common Teen Driver Mistakes

It's no secret that teen drivers have more accidents than more experienced drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 16-year-olds are three times as likely to die in an automobile accident than the average of all other drivers. In 2005, 3467 drivers aged 15 to 20 died in car crashes. According to a press release, Cars.com and Driver'sEd.com have joined together to educate teens and their parents on the ten most common mistakes that teen drivers make.

With cell phones, mp3 players, CDs and texting while driving becoming more common, distracted driving contributes to 80 percent of car crashes.

Driving recklessly, such as ignoring school zones, changing lanes without checking blind spots and ignoring traffic signs and lights are all deliberately risky behavior that can endanger teen drivers, their passengers and other motorists.

Teen drivers are also more likely to speed than other drivers. One third of all fatal crashes involving teen drivers were affected by speeding.

Many teen drivers also fail to follow cars at a safe distance. Other common mistakes include driving without seat belts, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and overcrowding the car. Too many people in the car leads to more distracted driving, as well as more aggressive driving. Driving without enough sleep is also a common problem among teens. "Drowsy Driving" often affects overachieving teens with good grades and a number of extracurricular activities.

Teens often pick cars that have larger engines than they can safely handle and ignore safety features for flashy cars and expensive stereo systems. Teens also fail to maintain their vehicles, often driving with worn tires and brakes. In addition to gravitating to flashy sports cars, teens also like SUVs, which usually score poorly in crash and roll over testing. New SUV features, such as electronic stability systems and side curtain airbags are not usually found in used SUVs that teens typically drive.

Teens also have a hard time handling road emergencies. Knowing how to handle emergencies comes with experience that teen drivers can't gain in driver education classes. Maneuvers, like straightening out a skid and how to apply brakes in inclimate weather, for avoiding accidents are only learned with many hours behind the wheel.

Says DriversEd.com founder Gary Tsifrin. "By recognizing these common mistakes, we hope that teenagers will be able to avoid the risks associated with being a teenager behind the wheel."

Source: Press release: Cars.com and DriversEd.com Announce Top 10 Driving Mistakes Teenagers Make (http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=3496561)