Parents should be enforcing driving laws on their teenagers, but statistics show that parents often fail in these duties. Studies show that 25% of parents in the US don't enforce driving laws on their teen drivers.

Moms are stricter on their children, with 80% of moms and 74% of dads enforcing driving restrictions.

When the laws are enforced, teens are safer on the road. Lax enforcement is far too common, with 33% of parents claiming that they do not enforce the laws because their teenagers don't listen anyway. Another 25% of parents thought that the laws were "unfair."

"Approximately 23% of parents said they pick and choose what laws they expect their children to follow, while 6% said the laws were unnecessary," explains Bradshaw Law LLC. But every year, 16,375 teens die on average due to accidents in the U.S. Motor vehicle accidents account for 62% of unintentional injury deaths.

Enforcing driving laws can lower the risk of accidents and death starting with one of the main causes of death: distracted driving.

Distracted Driving Apps

Distracted driving is the leading cause of accidents among teens. There's the need to check smartphones, text messages and even take a selfie while driving. It's a major problem, and it's one of the main reasons for distracted driving accidents rising in recent years.

Parents cannot be in the car with their children at all times.

But there are apps that can help keep your child safe when you're not in the car. Five major apps that have been able to stop teens from texting and driving are:

  • LifeSaver

  • SafeDrive

  • DriveMode

  • Cellcontrol

  • TextLimit

Apps that take control of the phone when the car is in motion can force teens to not be able to text and drive. When teens keep their eyes on the road, they're at a significantly lower risk of accident or even death while driving.

Stop Thinking You're Above the Law

Parents need to educate themselves on their state's driving laws. If you know the laws, it's easier to make sure that they're followed. The other problem is that a lot of parents believe that they're above the law.

Lawmakers make laws to lower the risk of accidents, especially among teens.

But 23% of parents claim that they pick and choose the laws that they expect their teens to follow. Instead, you should be respecting the laws and ensure that your teen respects the laws, too.

If you don't respect the law, you're not teaching your teen to respect the law.

A major law to follow is passenger restrictions. A lot of states put restrictions on passengers because they do not want to put multiple lives at risk when teens drive. When a friend is in the car, it's easier to get distracted, and multiple people's lives can be at risk during an accident.

Almost half of the parents do not impose passenger laws on their teen drivers.

Siblings and friends should not be allowed in the vehicle as a passenger as per your state's law. Experienced drivers are often allowed as passengers because they ensure that the driver follows the law.