Guest Post  MassDOT, MAPFRE Insurance Reminder: National Teen Driver Safety Week and Seat Belt Safety

If your teenager has just made it to the next step in young adulthood, driving—congrats! Although this is an exciting time with new responsibilities and experiences, it’s crucial to remember the risks associated with being a new and inexperienced driver. The conversations you start with your teen now ensure a safer driving experience down the road.

National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 20-26, raises awareness and educates teens (and their parents) on the risks and solutions to prevent injuries and deaths on the road. Some risk factors for teens behind the wheel include alcohol and drug use, not wearing seat belts, distracted driving, additional passengers, speeding, and drowsy driving.

As a parent, you can:

• Set a good example with your driving. You have more influence than you think.
• Discuss the dangers of mixing drugs and alcohol with driving. It’s illegal to drink under the age of 21, and it’s illegal to drink and drive.
• Learn about your state’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, which restrict your teen’s license in ways that will ensure their safety.

The 2023 Safety Belt Usage Observational Study, a report for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety & Security, found that the safety belt usage rate in Massachusetts, a secondary law state, has been consistently lower than the national average. The observed usage rate in 2023 was 80% while NHTSA claims the national estimate of seat belt use during the day by adult front-seat passengers in 2023 was 91.9%. All drivers, experienced and novice, and passengers must buckle up, every trip, every time.

The MAPFRE Insurance-sponsored MassDOT Highway Assistance Program is on patrol to help all motorists, including motorcyclists, on the highways. Patrol operators monitor some of the state’s busiest highways around Metro Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Cape Cod (seasonal). The Highway Assistance Patrol covers 13 major state roadways and interstates, the Emergency Service Patrol covers the Mass Pike (I-90) from New York to Boston and the Incident Response Operators cover the Metropolitan Highway System and tunnels. The Highway Assistance Patrol is in service Monday–Friday between 6 a.m.–10 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m. During holidays, there are extended routes in heavy-traffic areas. On I-90, and in Boston’s tunnel system, assistance is provided 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

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Your friends at MAPFRE Insurance