Teens Getting a Crash Course in Driving at The Doctor's Office
The next time your teens get a check up the doctor's office it will come with a little extra---Alabama pediatricians are giving teens a crash course in driving.-->By: Jamiese Price
Updated: October 8, 2012
A study by Allstate Insurance revealed Alabama is the second most dangerous in the country for teen drivers. That was enough to send pediatricians into action. Through a grant from the Allstate foundation and the efforts of the Alabama Safe Teen Driving Coalition, pediatricians across the state are using a safe driving tool kit to educate their teen patients on driving habits.
Dr. Michael Ramsey with Dothan Pediatrics said he's using the tool kit to educate his teen patients and their parents during their normal visits.
"With pediatricians being concerned with teen's safety we have taken this on as a project to help families understand that when teenagers get their license at 16 that there are other things to look out for and there are limitations on what they can do," said Ramsey.
The tool kits come equipped with information on Alabama's graduated driver's license and a "Teen-Parent Agreement". The agreement was created to encourage teenagers to drive responsibly, and to reinforce the Graduated Driver License Law.
Ramsey said, "Because there's not a widespread knowledge or understanding about this law, it's hard when one teenager is going out to do anything and another teenage family is trying to follow the law and restrict the number of passengers in the car and restrict the time they're out driving. "
