Tips To Parents and Teens on Safe Driving and Used Car Buying During Graduation Season

    FAIRFAX, Va.--June 10, 2003--Graduation is a time for celebrating accomplishments and the rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood. However, high school graduates are still teenagers and part of the highest risk group for fatal car crashes.

    Safe Teen Driving

    Graduation time means there are more teenagers driving to and from parties. Of special concern this time of year is drinking and then driving. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teens that drink and drive are more likely than those in other age groups to crash. The weekends between prom and graduation prove especially dangerous. Figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) during the 2000 Prom-Graduation season indicated that 1,226 or 59 percent of the 2,082 teen traffic fatalities were alcohol related. But, drinking and driving are not the only concerns. Other risky driving behaviors during graduation season can turn this milestone into a gravestone.
    To help minimize safety risks, CARFAX--creator of the vehicle history report and the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers program--is offering parents and teens the following safe driving tips.

    1. BEING HELD BACK: Even if it is just a short trip from one
       friend's party to another, buckle your seat belt. In the event
       of a crash, it may be the only thing holding you back from
       serious injury and possibly death!

    2. DON'T CRAM: Remove distractions by limiting passengers to the
       number of seatbelts in the car. If not for you, think of your
       friends. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of teen passenger
       deaths occur in crashes with a teen driver according to the
       IIHS.

    3. CUM LAUDE, NOT LOUDLY: Improve your safety and minimize
       distraction by keeping music and conversations low while
       driving. There will be plenty of time for loud music at the
       parties.

    4. CRASH: Don't drive tired. A Stanford University study (May
       2001) indicated it is just as dangerous to drive when
       sleep-deprived as when intoxicated. If you're tired after a
       party, ask to sleep at the host's house.

    5. POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE: You just finished high school and feel
       invincible, but risky practices such as tailgating or speeding
       can kill even a high school graduate. Better to be ten minutes
       late then to never arrive for the party.

    6. DIPLOMACY: Know how to say "no" when alcohol is offered and how
       to tell a friend they've had too much. If you drink, don't
       drive. Don't let a friend who has been drinking get behind the
       wheel.

    7. COMMENCE DISCUSSION LATER: Make an agreement with your parents
       that you won't drink. If you do drink at a party, promise to
       call them for a ride home. In exchange, your parents should
       promise to hold discussion until later.

    1. THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS: Surprising your graduate with a car?
       Before tying on that big red bow, you need to know that the
       vehicle you are buying suits your teen's driving style and
       abilities. Make sure the vehicle is easy to handle. Choose a
       make and model they have driven or have them test-drive the
       models you are considering. Avoid trucks or SUVs with a high
       center of gravity, which may be more difficult for less
       experienced drivers to control. Large, older vehicles with
       smaller engines, or midsize newer vehicles with the newest
       safety features, make good choices.

    2. CONSIDER THE COST: Don't just check the price tag;
       investigate "the bigger picture." A sports car may be your
       teen's dream, but safety issues, maintenance and insurance
       costs could become a nightmare for a first-time car owner.

    3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK: Use the many resources available to learn
       about make and model-level information, and consult pricing
       guides to determine which vehicles make the grade. CARFAX
       provides Safety and Reliability Reports through www.carfax.com
       and through dealers.

    4. VEHICLE'S REPORT CARD: Obtain a vehicle history report,
       which can uncover hidden problems such as odometer rollbacks
       and prior accident or flood damage. To obtain a CARFAX Vehicle
       History Report, visit www.carfax.com or ask your dealer.

    5. TIME FOR THE EXAMINATION: Take your time examining the car
       thoroughly for wear and tear as well as prior damage. Use your
       senses to uncover unreported flood or accident damage. Look
       for rust or differences in paint color. Smell for musty odors,
       listen for knocks in the engine, and feel for unevenness or
       welded spots in the body and frame, as well as for unusual
       vibrations while it is running. Tires, gas and brake pedals,
       and seats showing excessive wear, on a low-mileage car may
       suggest a rolled back odometer.

    6. TAKE THE TEST: A long test drive on various road surfaces
       and speeds demonstrates how the car will perform.

    7. GET PROFESSIONAL HELP: Get the vehicle inspected by a
       professional mechanic. They can uncover problems the average
       consumer cannot.