Indiana's appendix for parents and teens explains why new drivers crash and which habits prevent it. The fuller Driver Guide for Parents and Teens is posted on IN.gov/BMV.
Teen crash risk factors:
- Errant and risky driving and distraction: the most common factor in teen crashes
- Inattention and distraction: common in multiple-vehicle crashes
- Excessive speed: common in single-vehicle crashes
- Driving with other teens
- Not wearing a seat belt
- Inattention at intersections, where most teen multi-vehicle crashes happen
- Alcohol or drugs: few teen drivers, but a much higher share of serious injuries and deaths
The chance of a crash with each passenger present in the vehicle
Handbook p. 76 ↗Tips for teen drivers:
- You and your passengers must always wear seat belts
- Adjust your seats and mirrors before every drive
- Don't adjust the radio while driving; wait until you're stopped
- Don't play music loudly; you might miss a siren or horn
- Don't talk on the phone or text (it's against the law), eat, groom, or do anything distracting
- Don't drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver; some over-the-counter drugs cause drowsiness
- Make sure an intersection is clear before you enter it
- Be ready to stop at a green light; don't enter after it turns yellow unless already in the intersection
- Obey the speed limit
Tips for parents of teens:
- Set a good example, and require seat belt use at all times
- Practice with your teen during the permit and the first year of licensed driving
- Expose your teen to wet roads, snow, highways, rural roads, night driving, and unfamiliar roads
- Choose vehicles for safety, not image
- Discuss driving rules, responsibilities, and consequences
- Grant progressive privileges as your teen shows good decisions
Know the rule
Anyone under 18 operating or riding an off-road vehicle (ORV) must wear a helmet meeting U.S. DOT standards. An owner or person in possession may not knowingly let someone under 18 operate an ORV without one.
Handbook p. 77 ↗Know the rule
When getting a new, renewed, replacement, or amended credential, eligible people may apply to register to vote at a branch, on myBMV.com, or at a BMV Connect kiosk.
Handbook p. 77 ↗Know the rule
With authorization from a male under 26 getting a new or renewed license, the BMV registers him with Selective Service. Failing to register is a felony: up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Handbook p. 77 ↗Put it into practice
You're 17, and three friends want a ride to the game. Each passenger doubles your chance of a crash. In your first 180 days with a probationary license, you can't carry them at all without a qualifying adult in the front seat.