Montana Highway Patrol Offers Summer Safety Tips for Teen Drivers [YouTube]
Statistically, the summer months are the most dangerous for drivers between the ages of 15 and 21. In fact,in 2012, according to AAA, an average of 399 teens died in traffic crashes in the U.S. during each of the summer months.
Montana Highway Patrol Captain Jim Kitchen said teens need to keep a few things in mind to stay safe while driving in the summer months.
"Number one, keep your mind on what you're doing," Kitchen said. "Don't drink and drive, don't go out in the woods and do stupid things. Stay buckled up, drive the speed limit, make sure your tires are inflated correctly and just be a responsible driver."
Kitchen said positive peer pressure can also help keep a carload of kids safe on the highway.
"Make sure everyone in the vehicle is buckled up, be the responsible person in the car," he said. "Don't let your friends use alcohol and get behind the wheel. We see that a lot when kids go up in the woods and drink, then they get back in their vehicles and drive down and hey hurt themselves or somebody else, and we don't want to see that this summer."
Kitchen reminds all drivers to obey the laws regarding driving past a law enforcement traffic stop.
"If you're on a two-lane highway, you need to slow down and yield to those blue and red lights," Kitchen said. "If you're on the interstate, you go into the other lane and give us some room. There is a move-over law in the state and we are going to be enforcing that this summer."
KItchen also tells teens how to react if they get pulled over by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper,
"Pull all the way over to the right and out of danger, be polite and respectful," he said. "Provide all the documentation he or she asks for, and keep your hands on the wheel at all times. Remember, they're out there for your protection."
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