Teenagers are the most dangerous drivers on the road, and car crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. But there’s one simple way to keep kids safe: Don’t give teens a car they consider their own.
Teenagers who reported that they were the main person driving a vehicle, rather than sharing it with other family members, were more than twice as likely to be involved in a crash. One in four drivers with primary access to a car had had an accident while driving in the past year, compared with 1 in 10 for shared access. That means 25 percent of the kids driving their “own” cars had at least one accident last year! The teens with their own car also were more likely to use a cell phone while driving (78 percent, compared with 55 percent) and to speed (70 percent vs 54 percent). These figures come from a survey of 2167 teenagers by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It is said to be the first to look at whether having primary access to a car affects safety for teenage drivers.
What makes driving a family car safer? Maybe it’s as simple as knowing that it’s the family’s car. I’m sure the realization that it wasn’t “my” car made me more sorry-and more careful.
Many parents are excited when their teenager is finally driving, and many teens need to drive themselves to school or work. As a result, it’s easy for parents to think that a new driver needs a car. Indeed, the researchers found that 70 percent of the teenagers said that they had their “own” car. This is dangerous, and parents should consider delaying giving a child a car at least until the teenager has been driving for a year.
Children who have strict parents were 50 percent less likely to have had a crash in the past year, compared with parents whose style is permissive. The advice: Don’t be afraid to set rules for safe driving behavior, and take the keys if those rules aren’t followed. In fact, making your teenager say, “Mom, can I have the car keys?” may be one of the simplest and best ways to keep your child safe.
【小题1】The percentage of teenagers who speed while driving a family car is _________.| A．54% | B．70% | C．55% | D．78% |
| A．Their teenager finding a job. | B．Their teenager making friends. |
| C．Their teenager getting a driving license. | D．Their teenager buying their own car. |
| A．By using some examples. | B．By offering some figures. |
| C．By reasoning and concluding. | D．By analyzing causes and effects. |
| A．Teenagers: the most dangerous drivers | B．Keep teens safe-not giving them a car |
| C．Teens driving alone worry parents | D．Family shared cars can avoid car crashes |
