Carpooling: A Terrible Idea For Teens

Carpooling- a concept that makes all the sense in the world for a number of reasons.

• It saves you money; 4 people splitting a tank gas a lot cheaper than 1 person.
• It helps the environment; 1 car’s emissions harming the atmosphere is a lot better than 4 cars worth.
• It reduces traffic; less cars on the road typically means less stress.

In most circumstances is hard to deny the positives of carpooling. Most. For some of us, carpooling should be our greatest fear.  With the beginning of summer comes the beginning of the 100 Deadliest Days, a 3+ month period where driving fatalities skyrocket, especially amongst teens. Not exactly the most uplifting of names but it’s unfortunately accurate. Without diving completely into the 100 days, we felt it necessary to spotlight carpooling teens.

 This infographic from AAA says it all. ­

The increased risk each time another teen is added to a car with a teen driver is staggering. And while there are plenty of tips and tricks to keep our children safe on the road, perhaps a rule on carpooling is necessary in your family. The more teenagers that get into a car together, the more likely something terrible can happen. As parents we all can do a better job of  educating our children about the risks on the road, and carpooling is just one topic to address.

For more advice on safety, please reach out to FDRsafety.