The leading cause of death for teens is auto accidents. 33% of all deaths in ages 13 to 19 were from auto accidents. With each additional passenger, these chances double.

If the above statistics seem sobering, they should be. As a direct alarm for all parents and teens, this is more than a minor problem. Teens are not being taught properly and their own behavior and lack of awareness are destroying families.

The discussion parents don’t often have is what to do if it happens. What can parents teach teens, From ‘Are We There Yet’ To Taking The Wheel: Teaching Your Teen How To Deal With Disaster On The Road. The below tips start the conversation.

Injury Review

Who is hurt and how? Teens can get an understanding of the situation by focusing immediately on who is injured and to what degree. It’s pivotal for allowing some sense of balance in the immediate shock of a vehicle accident. It’s easy to just lose it at this stage, but that hardly helps any potential injuries or potential injured passengers. Assess the surroundings. If there is a present danger, it must be addressed.

Report

Get help immediately. Assess the big three of any incident: the who, the what, and the where. Who is the person involved in the accident? What happened? Where it is? The dispatcher will get professionals on the scene as soon as possible. This will go far in calming nerves for teens to get through the post-accident fears.

It is always smart to stay on the line until the dispatcher says it is okay to hang up. Sometimes, it is okay to call an emergency line even if there are no substantial injuries. The dispatcher can send police to counsel and to mediate over a potential insurance involved situation.

How a disaster is handled does not have to be divided by the severity of the accident. It can always be handled with the same basic steps. Assess injuries. Get out of danger. Call the emergency line. Take these practical steps if the accident is minor or bad, and calm that energy down.