10 Summer Driving Safety Tips for Your Teen Driver

Consumer Reports says that car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and that risk climbs even higher during the summer months.

More free time, relaxed parental curfews, and less supervision overall combine to create a higher risk for teen driving accidents and deaths when school is out. In 2009, more teens died in the months of July and August than any other months of the year.

Below are 10 key safety tips to help your teen stay safe on the road during the summer months.

• Buckle up.
• Put down the phone.
• Limit passengers.
• Slow it down.
• Don’t drink and drive.
• Driving at night.
• Turn it down.
• Don’t drive when you don’t have to.
• Wear comfortable, functional clothing.
• Make sure your teen has a safe and well maintained car.

Read the complete Consumer Reports article, with more details on each tip.

Consumer Reports distracted driving and teen safety section.

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Study Says We Become Increasing Bad Drivers with Age

Consumer Reports writes that research published by the American Psychological Association, on the online journal Neuropsychology, looked at healthy older drivers and their performance on the road and found that all types of driving errors increased with age, no matter what the person’s driving history.

The study looked at 266 people age 70 to 88 who had no signs of dementia, lived on their own, and drove at least once a week. Researchers wanted to find evidence for detecting unsafe older drivers and how declines in brain function — normal cognitive aging — affects driving skills. Participants drove through a 12-mile course through city and suburban streets in Brisbane, Australia, with a professional driving instructor in the front seat and occupational therapist in the back seat scoring the drivers on various errors.

Read the complete Consumer Reports article.

Comment below... do you agree with the results? Do you think there should be an age limit for seniors?

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Video: Father Bikes Across Country to Raise Awareness of Distracted Driving

Consumer Reports writes that "19-year old Eric Okerblom had decided he wanted to train for the cycling team when he returned for his sophomore year at University of California, Berkeley, but his dreams were cut short in the summer of 2009 when he was killed by a teen driver while biking on the road near his home. Cell phone records show the woman was texting before the accident.

"As a tribute to his son and to spread the message of the dangers of distracted driving, Bob Okerblom put his physician’s practice on hold for a few months and saddled up for a solo trip from California to Florida. Although, he was never a cyclist, he decided to do something in his son’s honor and began to train for the ride last year. You can follow his journey on his blog and check out the Eric Okerblom foundation website he has set up."

Bob and his wife Eileen are in the latest Faces of Distracted Driving video from the Department of Transportation. (See more family stories at distraction.gov.)



In March, Consumer Reports hosted a teen distracted driving event to help educate parents, teachers and teens about the dangers of distracted driving. See the pamphlet distributed to schools and organizations.

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How to Reduce the Risk of Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is when a tire loses contact with the road and skims on water.

As shown in the accompanying video, compliments of Consumer Reports, hydroplaning can cause a complete loss of steering and braking control, and it can happen in an instant. Even a thin film of water can cause hydroplaning, and it doesn’t have to be raining for there to be a risk. A puddle can cause it.



According to Consumer Reports, the best way to reduce the risk of hydroplaning is to simply slow down when roads are wet. The faster you go, the greater the risk. Avoid driving through any standing water whenever possible.

As we’ve seen in tire testing, some tires are much more resistant to hydroplaning than others. If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, check our Ratings for tires that scored well for wet-weather traction. These are often models with a more open, aggressive tread pattern that helps channel water to the sides.

Consumer Reports also recommends checking the pressure of all your tires, including the spare, at least once a month. And don’t drive on worn-out tires. As a tire wears, its tread becomes shallower and has less resistance to hydroplaning. Our tests have shown that tires that are just half worn can hydroplane at speeds 3-4 mph less than when they’re new.

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Audio: Car Batteries -- from Consumer Reports

Inexpensive car batteries often perform as well as, or better than, those costing twice as much.

From Consumer Reports, November issue; listen to the audio report.

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Consumer Reports' Latest Car Battery Test Finds Some Bargain Performers

Consumer Reports latest car battery test shows that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a top performer. In fact, the tests show that some $75 models work as well or better as competitors at twice the price.

"The ratings include 40 different models in five popular group sizes to fit most cars, SUVs, and pickups, and include draining and recharging each battery 3,000 times, testing their strength at freezing temperatures, and measuring how long they hold their current under load.

"With winter coming, now is an excellent time to have your battery checked as part of an annual charging system checkup, especially if it's two years old and you live in a warm climate or four years old and you live where it gets cold. Contrary to what you might think, hot temperatures are harder on batteries than cold temperatures."

Read the complete Consumer Reports article.

And according to GM's Mr. Goodwrench, "cold weather affects battery efficiency. Most cold-weather breakdowns occur because batteries aren't delivering full cranking power. Also check to make sure battery cables are corrosion-free."

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FBI Reports Both Autho Theft and Recovery of Stolen Vehicles is Down

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released new 2009 statistics that finds auto thefts are down to its lowest level in 20 years at 794,616 thefts and down 17 percent from last year. However, all the news isn’t good. The recovery of the stolen vehicles also declined, with only 42 percent recovered--the lowest rate in 25 years. Over $5 billion was lost to motor vehicle theft, with the average loss per vehicle at $6,505.

One reason for the low recovery rate is that thieves are increasingly savvy. These acts are seldom the work of joyriding teenagers, but rather calculated abductions by professional thieves. That makes it harder to recover because they are stripped for parts and sold on the black market.

Just last month, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) published the list of the highest insurance claims with the Cadillac Escalade making the top spot.

Consumer Reports also offers the following tips to prevent your car from being stolen:

• Lock your car. It is common sense that many thefts happen to unlocked vehicles. The goal is to make your car less desirable than others, and a locked door is a simple deterrent.
• Never leave your car running unattended and always take your keys with you. Otherwise, you are inviting thieves to drive off with your car.
• Keep windows closed when you park and leave your vehicle. A slender arm or clothes hanger can reach in through even a narrow opening to unlock the door.
• Don’t store valuables or expensive electronic devices in plain sight. It’s best to take portable devices with you.
• Park in a well-lighted, public place when running errands and when at home. A car will be safer in a garage than in a driveway or at a curb.
• Use a visual warning device, such as a blinking light, as a deterrent. An alarm can be effective, but it is even better if the crook doesn’t break into the vehicle in the first place. If your car is not factory-equipped with these features, they can be installed at a local automotive stereo shop.
• Smart keys or a fuel cut-offs system, aka engine immobilizer, are standard on many late-model cars and can add security. Thieves won’t steal a car they cannot start.
• For advanced protection, install a GPS or radio frequency tracking system in your vehicle to help police find it.

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Insurance Institute Names Best-fitting Booster Seats for 2010

According to Consumer Reports, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its 3rd annual list of the best-fitting booster seats and this year’s list shows that there are more options for parents to find a good fitting seat for children 4 to 8 years old.

The IIHS ratings are based solely on how well each booster seat positions the lap and shoulder belt, its primary function, and are not an assessment of crash performance or vehicle fit. A well-fitting booster should put the lap portion of the seat belt flat across a child’s upper thigh and the shoulder belt at mid-shoulder.

Out of 72 booster seats rated this year, 21 of them were considered Best Bets and seven Good Bets. Only nine seats in 2009 received the Best Bet award and 10 in 2008. However, IIHS found eight seats that aren’t recommended because they do a poor job of fitting with the belts.

IIHS Best Bets
Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback)
Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback)
Clek Oobr (dual highback)
Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback)
Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback)
Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback)
Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless)
Evenflo Maestro (combination highback)
Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback)
Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback)
Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless)
Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless)
Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback)
Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback)
Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback)
Recaro Vivo (highback)
Recaro Young Sport (combination highback)
Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback)
The First Years Pathway B570 (highback)

Consumer Reports adds that when assessing booster fit, ask these key questions:

• Does the booster seat position the shoulder belt across the clavicle/collar bone, approximately mid-way between the neck and shoulder?
• Does the booster seat position the lap belt low and flat across the hips/top of the thighs?
• Does either the booster seat or vehicle head restraint provide some support behind the child’s head?
• Is your child comfortable and not tempted to move the belts or themselves out of position after a period of time?

See the full list of booster seats at www.iihs.org.

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