Wearing a seat belt, putting away the cell phone, reducing the number of passengers, and keeping to the speed limit, can greatly reduce the risks to your teen driver. But that's not all you need to do; making sure tires are properly inflated, brake systems have been inspected and are properly adjusted, and that scheduled maintenance is completed and up to date will give your teen driver the best chance at having a safe driving experience.

Here are some important facts that parents of a teen driver should know...

Cell Phones:

• 56% of teens make or answer phone calls while driving.
• Talking on a cell phone can double the likelihood of an accident.
• 13% of teens admit to responding to text messages while driving.

Speeding:

• 17% of teens say speeding is fun.
• 55% of teens say they exceed the speed limit by 10 miles an hour or more.
• 26% of aggressive teen drivers exceed the speed limit by more 20 miles an hour.

Peer Pressure:

• 44% of teens say they drive safer when alone in the car.
• 55% of teens say they would not speak up, if a fellow teens driving was scaring them.
• The highest degree of distracted driving takes place in the age group below 20 years old.

Seat Belts:

• Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use, even though wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 45%.

To quote Mark Twain: "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."