ORLANDO, Fla. – ‘Tis the season for a bunch of new high school students to hit the road as first-time drivers.
“Please be as safe as you possibly can,” News 6 traffic safety expert and state trooper Steven Montiero said.
For this week’s edition of “Ask Trooper Steve,” Montiero offered a few suggestions he said can prevent crashes from coming your way while starting your driving journey.
Seatbelts
“Let me just get this out of the way now,” he said. “Please always wear your seatbelt. Thank you. Moving on.”
Limit the number of passengers
When possible, drive by yourself, Montiero recommends.
“There is so much that can happen inside of the vehicle with a youthful driver, it’s better to not have any distractions. And let’s be real, peer pressure is no fun,” he said.
Do not touch the phone while the car is moving
Montiero said if you truly and honestly do not want to be involved in a crash, the greatest thing you could do to prevent that from happening is simply do not touch your phone while the car is moving. He suggests creating a fun “do not disturb” message for your friends and hopefully they will understand.
Earlier than early
“When you think you have created enough time for your travel, always add 10 more minutes,” Montiero said. “I mean 10 minutes extra even when you plan for extra time. Speed kills.”
According to Montiero, one of the leading causes of youthful fatal crashes is speed.
“I am not trying to be anyone’s parent but, instead, simply show the facts,” he said. “It may sound crazy but put a small tape marker by the 55-mph speed marker. This is a mental checker. I know a lot of younger drivers that do this and live by this.”
Driving isn’t easy
“Look, I’m not the best driver in the world and I’m not saying that,” Montiero said. “But I do believe I care the most. So do yourself a favor, do your family a favor and be a focused driver.”
Do you have a traffic-related question for Trooper Steve? Submit it here for a chance to have it answered live on TV during “Ask Trooper Steve” Mondays and Thursdays on News 6 Mornings.