When your teenager starts driving it can be a scary yet liberating experience for both of you. Here is what you need to know for peace of mind.
What to do When Your Teenager Starts to Drive
How did it happen so fast? How is your teenager already getting their learner’s permit, or ready to get their driver’s license. When your teenager starts driving it can be a scary yet liberating experience for both of you. You need to make sure your teen is safe behind the wheel and understands your expectations. Establishing the right defensive driving attitude and habits is especially critical in the first six months of driving, when the likelihood for an accident is at its’ highest.
As parents we worry about all the usual things: Is my teenager going to get into an accident? Do I need to be concerned that they will drive after drinking? Is my teenager going to get a ticket? What happens to my insurance when they start driving? What if they drive all their friends when they’re supposed to wait a year?
You might feel better about your teenager driving, if you had some influence over how your teen handles herself behind the wheel. Chances are good that you’re not a certified driving instructor. Chances are also good that you’re probably a better role model than most of your teen’s friends, who are also just learning to drive. Your influence could make a difference—a difference that could save your teen’s life! Even being an experienced driver, you may find it difficult to break down into pieces the many driving techniques that come so easily to you ensure sanity during your practice sessions is to try to focus on just one aspect of driving each time you drive together. That’s why only one point is highlighted for each chapter. Taking these tips in small doses just may provide a way for you and your teen to really cover some ground. “Staying Cool as a Copilot” comes first to help get you off to a good start. Then, each section progresses through driving tips, common problems, and what you can do to help your teen’s driving habits. You’ll also find suggestions for the best places for you to practice each skill. You may even use the tips as springboards to discussion as you and your teen travel down the road to a safer driving future.
New Driver Safety Tips
Truth is, these tips are good for ALL of us to review and revisit:
- Stay off the phone while driving. In fact, limit ALL distractions such as eating, drinking and playing with the radio. Distracted driving is the number one cause for traffic accidents regardless of the age of the driver. Driver error causes more accidents on the highways than any other factor.
- Don’t text and drive. Put the phone in a backpack, center console, glove compartment. There must be zero tolerance for texting and driving.
- Wear your seatbelt at all times.
- Turn on your headlights.
- Slow down and obey the speed limit.
- Limit passengers in the vehicle with you.
- Always use defensive driving techniques.
- Don’t drink and drive.
- Keep night driving to a minimum.
- Be aware of potential inclement weather.
- NEVER DRINK alcoholic substances or use drugs.
What happens with insurance?
You should report a new driver in your household to your insurance company to ensure proper insurance coverage for your teen driver should there be any kind of traffic accident. Having a new teen driver in your household will undoubtedly increase your premium, but it is a small price to pay for appropriate insurance protection. The alternative of no coverage can be dangerous.
Your teenager can and should take advantage of driver’s education offerings in school or there are five hour courses. Both of these options offer additional insurance incentives as well to lower your premium.
It can be frightening to let go of the reigns for your teenage driver. It happens to all of us parents and our parents were there once too! As long as you take proper precautions and ensure your teenager fully understands the responsibility, correct behaviors and habits to establish right out of the gate, and seriousness of this otherwise exciting new measure of independence for them, you’ll both be assured a smooth ride!
Joe Stanley of Stanley Law works every day to educate the public about not only their rights should an automobile accident occur, but what to do to always be smart on the road and prevent such an accident from occurring in the first place. With depth of expertise and a Team who has sincere concern for the well-being of you and your family, should an accident occur, Stanley Law always uses the best experts and thorough investigation to ensure they leaveno stone unturned. Consultations are always FREE. You can begin the process by visiting their websiteStanleyLawOffices.com or phoning 1-800-608-3333.
