Can your teenage child drive? Are you confident they can make it through the most dangerous New York Roads? Yes, your teen passed the driving course, but is that enough reason to let him drive to anywhere he wishes to go? We care about teen drivers and we keep giving them useful driving tips.
If you put teen drivers on dangerous roads, you have simply exposed them and other road users (pedestrians, animals, and other drivers) to more risk. After all, teen drivers and inexperience are synonyms.
Before we proceed, we have to clarify that even adults can be inexperienced drivers because it all depends on when one took his driving lessons and how regularly he has been driving since then.
Something else to bear in mind: causing traffic accidents is not a preserve of the teen or inexperienced drivers of any age; anyone can cause an accident, depending on how they drive. That said, statistics have shown again and again that teen drivers are most at risk of causing accidents. At times, it is not because they are inexperienced, but are easily distracted by (hear this:) phones!
Parent-Teen Driving Agreement
Even after your teenager gets a driver’s license, you still have to monitor their driving. The parent-teen driving agreement empowers you to set ground rules for your teen driver, with restrictions and consequences for breaking the rules. The rules will change the more your kid gains experience and confidence. For instance, one of the rules can be that they should not drive at night or along dangerous roads.
Before you set the rules, you first have to find out which roads are especially more dangerous before you urge your teen driver to avoid those roads or be extra careful if they must drive on them.
In New York, there are the excellent roads that everyone can drive on as casually as possible. But then, there are the dangerous roads in New York that you may do well to avoid if you can, should you be a teen or inexperienced driver.
So which are the most dangerous roads in NY for the teen or inexperienced drivers?
1. Niagara Falls Boulevard
Niagara Falls Boulevard, stretching from Tonawanda to Amherst, is only a 3 miles long highway, but it is full of hazards that an inexperienced driver may not cope with. Your teen driver can get confused, especially by the many signage and the dangerous crosswalks and the fact that the road has no center meridians.
This road is considered the most hazardous in Western New York; 11 pedestrians have been killed here since 2011. You have to keep on warning your teen to avoid this road.
2. Ta conic State Parkway
Taconic State Parkway, a two-lane roadway, is the most dangerous road in New York. The road is not just congested; it also has many twists and turns that even experienced drivers can find a bit confusing. One of the most tragic accidents has happened here.
Surprisingly, it is not inside the big city but out towards the north. But it gets overcrowded because it is the main gateway to the north for New Yorker’s.
3. Upper Broadway
An inexperienced driver is more likely to knock a pedestrian along Upper Broadway than anywhere else in New York. If you are a pedestrian, it means you should only use this road if you must. It should not be your regular road. The crossroads here are too large, and if you are slow, a distracted or inexperienced driver can hit you.
Most of the pedestrians using Upper Broadway are either to or from The Big Apple. The Big Apple attracts 60 million people every year. You can see why a teen driver is likely to hit a pedestrian: they are hard to miss.
4. Hemp stead Turnpike (Nassau County)
Long Island is a densely populated island, and most of its residents prefer driving over trekking. Hemp stead Turnpike is not left out, being part of Long Island.
Hemp stead Turnpike is a high-risk roadway because it is packed with speeding drivers, roads in bad conditions and the absence of crosswalks. Many motorists and pedestrians have lost their lives here after they literally interpreted crosswalk signs.
5. I-87 New York – Montreal
It is this two-lane interstate highway that connects New York City and Montreal in Canada. A driver needs to be careful, especially outside New York City from Ramapo, until he gets to Albany. There have been 150 tragic traffic accidents here in the last ten years despite having well-marked roads in good condition.
An inexperienced driver should simply avoid I-87 if possible to reduce his chances of causing an accident. Still, even experienced drivers should be careful
What Makes Some Roads More Dangerous?
- Pedestrians and Cyclists – The presence of many pedestrians and cyclists render some roads more dangerous. This happens in areas where many drivers prefer cycling or walking instead of driving.
- Many Intersections – Intersections contribute to road accidents, and teen, inexperienced drivers are not at their best when approaching, moving through or getting away from intersections.
- Heavy traffic – On a heavy traffic road, the drivers tend to get impatient or frustrated and engage in dangerous driving behaviors. Some drivers will use their phones to beguile time while sitting in heavy traffic. Using a phone while driving is by itself dangerous.
- Speeding – Roads where cars speed are dangerous for inexperienced drivers.
Wrapping It Up
Teens are at the stage of life where people usually want to take chances. The teens may understand the danger, but that won’t stop them from taking the risk.
That’s why you need to keep on pressing them to avoid dangerous routes. If you are a teen reading this, kindly take heed. There are many good roads in New York that you can always use until such a time when you have gained sufficient experience to drive on high-risk roads in New York.
Would you want to take a refresher driving course to boost your confidence? Are you planning to learn to drive for the first time? We welcome you to Pierre Paul Driving School in Brooklyn, NY.