10 Common Behaviors by Teen Drivers

1. Bad habits. Does Mom or Dad have a driving habit that drives you nuts? Check yourself... New drivers pick up good and bad habits from parents.

2. Following too closely. Is that guy tailgating you? Chances are it's another teen driver.

3. Speeding. You may have keener hand-eye coordination and reflexes than your parents, but inexperience in "reading the road" makes speeding your quickest route to a crash.

4. Safety belts. If you think wearing safety belts makes you look uncool, consider: How will you look in a body cast?

5. Driving while impaired. Drinking and driving don't mix. Impaired performance and inexperience is a deadly combination. (The same is true for other drugs, even some prescription drugs.)

6. Passengers. Company can cause misery. Teens are more likely to overload a car with too many passengers, leading to higher fatalities in a crash.

7. Driving while distracted. When your attention wanders behind the wheel, the consequences can be painful, personally and financially. Intense conversations, eating and drinking, reading, and personal grooming are all better done out of the car - or at least when it's parked.

8. Aggressive driving and road rage. Strong emotion in motion can be risky. Driving while angry or upset clouds your judgment and increases your risk.

9. Poor scanning. You would never drive blind, but failure to check blind spots before changing lanes is a big risk too.

10. Poor distance judgment. In earning your license you've come a long way...but as a new driver you need to gain experience in gauging distance so you allow enough time to merge, exit, and cross traffic safely.

Next: Navigating the Information Highway