8 Things You Need to Know About Your Teen Driver

1.    Teens are drinking and driving. Frequently.

One in five teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had some alcohol in their system in 2010, according to the Center for Disease Control. Eighty one percent of these drivers had a blood alcohol content higher than the legal limit for adults. According to CalculateMe.com, one of the most common traffic violations is the refusal of a breath test by a driver under 21 and is an automatic two points on your license in many states. The CDC notes that drinking and driving among teens in high school has gone down by 54 percent since 1991. Even so, high school teens drink and drive about 2.4 million times each month according to the CDC.

2. Graduated Drivers License programs can be beneficial to your teen.

Many states have instituted their own Graduated Drivers License or GDL program that involves stages or "classes" of a license. These license provisions include only driving with a licensed driver over the age of 21, only driving during certain daytime hours, and not having passengers in your car for the first six months of driving. "I don't think young drivers should have to jump through hoops to obtain their license, but I do think they need the experience this program offers," said Alex Booth, newly licensed teen driver.

3. Teens, especially male teens, are the most likely to be involved in fatal accidents.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens according to the CDC. In 2010, seven teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. Similarly, the CDC report showed the motor vehicle deaths rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was almost two times that of their female counterparts.

4. The safest car for your teen might not be what you'd expect.

The Forbes list of safest cars for 2012 ranked the Audi A6 as the safest car to drive. The A6 ranks the highest because of the highly innovative technology within its safety features. The sedan includes blind spot monitoring, lane departure, collision warning/avoidance and night vision systems. This car was also an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2012 Top Safety Pick. The Forbes list also included the BMW 5 series, the Mercedes E Class, and multiple Infinity models.

5. Good things don't always come in small packages.

The Hyundai Elantra was listed as the most dangerous car on the road in 2011 according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Institute's rankings are not determined by crash tests and simulations but rather by real-world data and accident statistics. The Elantra earned its ranking by not having standard safety features such as ABS and traction control as well as suffering the most damage in multi-vehicle accidents. The remaining cars in the top five most dangerous in order were the Ford Ranger, Nissan Maxima, Mitsubishi Galant, and the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

6. School records and driving records are very much related.

Some states such as Georgia use driving privileges as a punishment for teens not going to school regularly. The Georgia Department of Driver Services is enacting harsher punishment for teen drivers both on and off the road. Students younger than 18 that have dropped out of school, have ten or more unexcused absences, or have missed ten consecutive days of school will have their license suspended.

7. They admit to using their phones while driving.

According to Allstate's Teen Driver Facts 56 percent of teens said they make and answer phone calls while driving and 13 percent of teens said they send and respond to text messages while driving. "I'll Facebook at red lights, call, text, whatever," said Sarah Booth, a 22-year-old Georgia driver and college student.

8. They are more than willing to practice to learn.

"I got my permit at fifteen and taking driver's education definitely prepared me for my test," said Bubba Green, a 20-year-old Georgia driver. "Between studying the book, learning the material in other ways, and practicing driving, I felt very prepared by the time I received my license," Green said.