CARFAX Offers Tips To Parents and Teens on Safe Driving and Used Car Buying During Graduation Season.Business Editors/Automotive Writers FAIRFAX Fairfax, city (1990 pop. 19,622), historic seat of Fairfax co., NE Va., a residential suburb of Washington, D.C.; inc. 1892, as a city 1961 (at which time it became independent and no longer included in a county). There is some light manufacturing. , Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 2003 Graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. is a time for celebrating accomplishments and the rite of passage rite of passage n. A ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, as from adolescence to adulthood. from adolescence adolescence, time of life from onset of puberty to full adulthood. The exact period of adolescence, which varies from person to person, falls approximately between the ages 12 and 20 and encompasses both physiological and psychological changes. 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 according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. non-profit organization funded by auto insurers. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that still occur. (IIHS IIHS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS Institute of Integral Handwriting Studies ), 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 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced "nit-suh") is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. (NHTSA NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (US government) ) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a nonprofit organization with more than 600 chapters nationwide. MADD seeks to find effective solutions to the problems of drunk driving and underage drinking, while also supporting those persons whose relatives and friends have been killed by drunk (MADD MADD Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Public health An organization that advocates stricter legislation against DUI and underage drinking, and provides support services for victims of DUI collisions. See DUI. ) 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.
Buying Your Teen a Safe and Reliable Car Around this time of year, parents also buy used cars for their teens and teens use their graduation money to purchase their own vehicles. CARFAX also offers pointers that lead parents and teens to the most safe and reliable vehicles. "Even newer model used cars are more affordable these days, and they depreciate depreciate v. in accounting, to reduce the value of an asset each year theoretically on the basis that the assets (such as equipment, vehicles or structures) will eventually become obsolete, worn out and of little value. (See: depreciation) more slowly than a new car," says Dick Raines, CARFAX President. "They are also less expensive to insure Insure can mean:
CARFAX recommends these steps to reduce the risk that your graduate won't be stuck with a Grade-A lemon:
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.
For additional safe driving and car buying tips, visit the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Program at www.carfax.com/teen, and click on the "Feedback" link to request "Tips for Grads and Parents." ABOUT CARFAX CARFAX, pioneer of the vehicle history service, hosts the CARFAX Safe Teen Drivers Program on www.carfax.com. This program provides parents and teens with safe driving tools and techniques. CARFAX Vehicle History Reports provide an instant background check on any used vehicle, and help parents and teens avoid costly hidden problems such as major accident and salvage salvage, in maritime law, the compensation that the owner must pay for having his vessel or cargo saved from peril, such as shipwreck, fire, or capture by an enemy. Salvage is awarded only when the party making the rescue was under no legal obligation to do so. history, odometer fraud Odometer fraud is the illegal practice of rolling back odometers to make it appear that vehicles have lower mileage than they actually do. Odometer fraud occurs when the seller of a vehicle falsely represents the actual mileage of a vehicle to the buyer. , flood damage and more. CARFAX Vehicle History Reports are available through www.carfax.com and car dealers. Based in Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City of Fairfax is nevertheless its county seatGR6. , CARFAX is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of R.L. Polk & Company and has been providing the truth about used cars to consumers since 1984. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion