Andrew James with ABC 32 talks with Attorney Mike White about essential safety tips for teen drivers. They discuss Alabama’s graduated licensure program and emphasize the importance of limiting distractions, following the law, and parental involvement in teen driving habits. For more detailed guidance, check out our Young Drivers Guide available as a free download for parents and teens.
ABC 32 host Andrew James:
Well, every teen dreams of getting a driver’s license and jumping behind the wheel on the open road, but some would-be drivers may not understand how dangerous driving can be. Mike White with Floyd Hunter Personal Injury Attorneys is joining us now with some safety tips for teens. Thank you so much for being here today, we do appreciate it.
Attorney Mike White:
Thanks for having me, Andrew.
Andrew:
We just, first, want to start talking about how the driver’s license program works for teens.
Attorney Mike White:
Alabama has a graduated licensure program. It’s got three steps. First, you have to have a permit. You have that from the time you’re 15 you can get it, it’s a written test and you have to have it for at least 6 months before you can try to get what’s called a limited driver’s license. That license you can apply for when you’re 16 having had up to 30–at least 30 hours of driver’s ed. And then once you obtain that with a driving test, like I did and probably you did when you were a kid, you have–for 6 months you can only have one passenger that’s not a family member, and you have to have someone 21 years old or older with you.
Andrew:
So, we know that this graduated program is kind of like putting the training wheels on, keeping them on for a little bit until the driver gets more experience, which is the main concern that we see with teen drivers.
Attorney Mike White:
Absolutely. The problem with teen drivers, and really it’s just any inexperienced drivers, the first 6 months to a year you’re more likely by about 2 times as much to just have an accident just by nature of experience. If you have passengers, more than 1, you’re about 4 times as likely to have an accident. Have more than 2, you’re about 6 or 8 times–between 6 and 8 times as likely to have a serious accident, so having passengers are a huge distraction.
Andrew:
Yeah, I know growing up for me, my parents used to tell me when I got my license, “You’re not invincible. This is a real car, real problems can happen.” What type of tips do you give parents?
Attorney Mike White:
Well, we’ve created a Young Drivers Guide that’s available from our website, FloydHunter.com. It’s a quick download. And a lot of things: 1, follow the law. Only allow your child to have 1 passenger in the car. Make your kid put their phone in the trunk. And just things–anything you can do to keep distractions down as it’s so easy to be distracted now with satellite radio and phones and passengers that, you know, just follow the rules. Try not to drive any more than you have to. Don’t just give them a car and say–see, what happened to me I was 15 years old and–
Andrew:
Kind of fend for yourself, and it’s always best to have those training wheels for lack of a better word.
Attorney Mike White:
Really, a lot of parents (and I’m probably guilty of this too, my son’s a lot older), once their children don’t need rides everywhere, will often get their kids a car and sort of just turn them loose. Really pay attention to where your kids are going, what they’re doing, so that they know somebody is in charge. And because, not only do you want to know how much they drive if you can, but you know who all they’re taking and what they’re doing.
Andrew:
Give us the website if people want the drivers guide that you have.
Attorney Mike White:
It’s www. Floyd (F-L-O-Y-D) Hunter (H-U-N-T-E-R) .com, and it’s on the first page. It’s a quick PDF download you can print or just email to your child. It’s not just for kids, it’s for parents to know how the law works.
Andrew:
Perfect, thank you as always. Some great information for people today.