NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- MS -- How safe are America's highways? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 6 million motor vehicle crashes take place in America each and every year, resulting in an injury every 11 seconds -- and a motor vehicle fatality every 12 minutes.
Establishing and maintaining good driving habits can have a profound impact on whether your vehicle becomes part of the statistics. There are a lot of factors that go into safe driving, particularly age and experience. Now, one of the nation's leading insurance companies, MetLife Auto & Home, offers a series of materials targeted to help drivers on every stage of the age spectrum.
"While it's impossible to control the habits of other drivers, it is possible to adjust your driving habits to make the time on the road as event-free as possible," says MetLife Auto & Home president Bill Moore. "Every day, our Claim Department receives reports of claims that could have been prevented, had the basic principles of defensive driving and driver attentiveness been observed."
Here are some important topics to consider that may be affecting your family and household.
-- Teens behind the wheel: The strategy is to educate teens about safe
driving and make sure they've had plenty of instruction with a seasoned
driver prior to driving solo. "Teaching Your Teens to Drive (Without
Driving Each Other Crazy!)" can help. The step-by-step guide is
designed to help make the teen driving experience as painless as
possible. The booklet provides parents and guardians with important
guidelines to follow before their teenagers get behind the wheel, and
emphasizes the importance that preparation and planning can play in
defusing potentially stressful situations. As a complement, MetLife
Auto & Home also offers a free DVD entitled "Young Drivers, the
High-Risk Years."
-- Course for today's driving conditions: Even drivers who've been behind
the wheel for years could use a refresher on important safety tips and
information. "In the Drivers Seat: About Driving Safely" offers an
important brush-up course for more experienced drivers. The booklet
contains information on safe driving basics, including defensive
driving tips, the facts on cell phone usage, what to do in the event of
a car breakdown or accident, tips on how to avoid collisions with deer
and other animals, and information about air bag and antilock brake
systems.
-- Especially for seniors: It's important for drivers of all ages to
continually and honestly gauge their ability behind the wheel.
"A Driver's Life: Assessing Your Driving Skills as You Age" provides
essential information for older drivers who want to hold on to the keys
of their vehicles for as long as they safely can. The booklet outlines
some of the physical effects of aging that could impact driving
ability, as well as tips on coping with them in order to remain a safe
driver for the long run.
The materials are available for free by calling 1-800-MET-LIFE (1-800-638-5433).
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