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MassDot Helps Parents Prevent Fatal Teen Car Accidents in Massachusetts

Car accidents in Boston and elsewhere are the leading killer of teenagers nationwide. Some of these fatalities can be prevented with just a little supervision and education. Parents have the power to help to mold their children into the best drivers they can be. According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, there’s a new guide available to help parents and guardians to do just that. The new guide is being offered to help parents to optimize the 40-hours of supervised driving that our young drivers are required to complete before receiving an unrestricted driver’s license.

Take the recent car accident that happened in New Bedford. A high school student was killed while making his way to school at around 7:30 a.m. According to WPRI, the teen’s vehicle was full with student passengers when it flipped and rolled several times. The teenage driver was thrown from the vehicle. When emergency responders arrived on scene, he was pronounced dead.

To help to prevent accidents like this, teenage drivers who are in line to get their learner’s permit will be given a copy of the new guide, “The Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide” at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). As parents of teenage drivers, our Boston car accident attorneys will be reviewing this booklet and using it to better train our children to become safer drivers. We urge parents throughout the state to do the same. As we’ve said before, teaching teens safe driving habits early on will help to reduce their risks of being involved in an accident for the rest of their lives.

In Dover, another teen driver was killed while heading down Route 16. He reportedly lost control of his truck, which flipped, ran into a guard rail and was sent tumbling into the Cocheco River. According to WMUR, a crane had to be called to the accident site to help get the truck out of the river.

The guide is offered for free. It’s provided to everyone through a team effort between Safe Roads Alliance and the guides sponsor, Safety Insurance.

According to Registrar of Motor Vehicles’ Rachel Kaprielian, driving is a privilege and a huge responsibility. This guide will help prepare parents to raise safer drivers.

Parents have the ability to make the biggest impact on their teen drivers. This program helps ensure parents have the right tools to teach their teen safe driving habits. The new guide encourages parents to expose their teen driver to a number of driving conditions, including daytime, nighttime, rural, heavy traffic etc., to make sure that they’re equipped with the knowledge and skills to do it on their own when the time comes.

In the U.S., nearly 50 percent of newly-licensed drivers will be involved in an accident within their first year behind the wheel. According to George Murphy, the Vice President of Marketing with Safety Insurance, the Safety Insurance’s top concern is keeping Massachusetts’ roadways safety for drivers of all ages.

Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers LLC is an experienced and dedicated team of personal injury and car accident attorneys. We offer free and confidential consultations to injured victims and victims’ families who have been involved in Massachusetts car accidents. Call (617) 777-7777 to speak to someone about your claim today.

More Blog Entries:

Boston Road Safety, Part 8: Speeding and Aggressive Driving, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, February 8, 2012

Boston Road Safety, Part 7: Seat Belts, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, February 7, 2012

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