Parents: take the wheel where teen drivers are concerned

Earlier this month, Isabella Grasso, a 17-year-old senior at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, was killed when her car crossed a double yellow line and collided with another vehicle, also driven by a teenager.

An incident only a few days earlier had claimed the life of 17-year-old driver Frankie Posillico of Westbury, who ran a stop sign and hit another car, injuring three other people.

The loss the victims’ families feel is too immense for most of us to imagine. Our hearts go out to all those involved. But while we mourn, we must also learn. We must seek to turn our sorrow into societal benefit.

One way parents can help ensure that these young lives were not lost in vain is by discussing automotive responsibility with their teenage drivers. Parents often pay for the cars their kids drive; they should insist on safe driving practices before handing over the keys.

Nearly every time teenagers’ lives are lost in automotive accidents, the issue of texting while driving is raised. We cannot know if it was a factor in these incidents, but what is important, and undeniable, is that distracted driving among teens — driving while not only texting, but talking on phones, eating, watching DVDs, you name it — is a serious problem.

A 2010 study conducted by AAA, which surveyed 1,999 teens, found that while some 85 percent of them were aware that distracted driving increased their chances of being in an accident, 86 percent continued to engage in those behaviors.

These numbers are sobering, and while discussing them with your teen is a step in the right direction, taking decisive action will be even more effective.

At a bare minimum, parents and other drivers who frequently ferry teens from place to place should be models of not just good, but exemplary, driving: Keep your hands at 10 and 2, turn off your phone or lock it in the glove box while you drive, use your turn signals, change lanes carefully.

In short, do all the things experienced drivers tend to neglect after years on the road. By refocusing your attention on the way you drive, you can influence the way your teen drives. (And let’s face it, quite a few adult drivers would benefit from a refreshed approach.)