Thumb socks. Huh. Who'd have thunk? First and foremost, I've never even HEARD of thumb socks before today. I definitely wouldn't have thought about handing them out to a bunch of teenagers. And I would not, under any circumstances, have associated them with cheaper auto insurance quotes.
Shows how much I know.
Teen Drivers, Beware
If you have a teenager at home, you're already gearing up for the fun of watching your auto insurance rates climb when they get behind the wheel. Teens are…I want to say the number is right around 60%. Teens are 60% more likely to get in an accident than their adult counterparts. It's not that they're bad kids. They're just inexperienced.
Time will take care of that. Their insurance rates will go down sooner or later. In the meantime, however, you're probably frantically busy wondering how on earth you're going to keep your teens from annihilating your chances of finding affordable auto insurance quotes.
That's Where the Thumb Socks Come In
Recently, DoSomething.org, in collaboration with Sprint and Toyota, launched an initiative they're calling Thumb Wars. Teen stick little socks on their thumbs and drive around town.
The point? To discourage teens from texting while they drive. Teens sporting the little socks are reminded not to pick up the phone and start pushing buttons.
I won't say that teens are the only ones driving around town cranking out the digital correspondence when their hands are supposed to be on the wheel. Spend an hour on 95 and you'll see EXACTLY how many drivers are hoping their phone's texting feature isn't going to make (or break) their driving record.
Still. Add a distracted teen and an inexperienced teen together, toss in a 1500 lb vehicle, and what you've got is a recipe for disaster. And what they learn now is going to lay the foundation for their driving habits later. Safe teen drivers become safe driving adults.
Isn't that what you want for your teen? AND your auto insurance quotes?
What Else Can You Do?
Thumb socks are a step in the right direction, but they're not the only thing you can do to help keep your teen's auto insurance quotes on the straight and narrow. Other steps you can take include:
· Having your teen take driver's ed. Or some form of formal education course. These formal education classes don't just teach them the basic rules of road safety. They also start them with a +1 on their license the minute they pass the class.
· Teach them to drive the speed limit. Okay, this is a big one. I mean a really, really big one. There aren't many people I know that didn't pick up at least one speeding ticket before their 18th birthday. Unfortunately, even one speeding ticket is enough to put a serious dent in your wallet. Teach your kids to take it slow and easy.
· Bambi isn't your friend. Maybe it's just because I live in a rural area, but deer are WAY up there on my top 10 list of things that aren't my friend when I'm on the road. Teach your teens to keep a weather eye out for those shining eyes and gleaming pelts on the side of the road and s-s-s-s-l-l-l-l-l-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-w down.
· Limit the number of passengers they have in the car. And who. When I first got my license, I had a friend who was fond of throwing the car into neutral for no real reason when we were going down the road. Which would have been her problem, had I not been in the driver's seat. With friends like these, etcetera, etcetera…
· Bambi might not be your friend, but good grades certainly are. Encourage your kids to stay on the honor roll. They may not like it now, but they'll thank you for it later.
Finally, encourage your teen to be a safe, cautious driver. Nudge them out the door early so they don't feel the need to rush. (I know, I know, I can't get mine out of bed in the morning either.) Teach them the dangers associated with night driving. Then send them on their way, make a cup of coffee, and enjoy the 30 seconds of peace and quiet you'll get before you're staring at the clock wondering when they'll be home again
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