Are you a parent of a teen driver? Teen drivers are often notoriously regarded as the worst drivers on the road. However, just because they have not accumulated the same experience that older drivers have does not mean that they are destined to get into an accident.
Many accidents that occur with teen drivers could be avoided with a better understanding of driving safety and having more practice on the road. So while you can always teach your teenage children about driving, you also want to make sure that they are getting enough hours on the road before they officially are allowed to get behind the wheel with no one present.
Today we’re talking about parents and speaking to your teenage children about their driving– and how to do it safely! Read on to find out more.
Don’t send your teenage driver on the road before you are sure that they are prepared to handle it. Your teen is more likely to get into an accident if they have less experience driving, so it makes sense to take them out to log as many practice hours as possible.
Go over yielding, speed limits, keeping the flow of traffic going, and more while you’re driving. Safety talks are best had casually while driving and you may have certain topics come up in your mind while driving, such as getting onto a highway from an on-ramp and changing lanes.
It probably will help to speak to your child in a calm way as opposed to hammering them over the head with how important it is to be safe. You don’t want them to tune you out and pretend to listen. Driving is about more than just obeying basic traffic laws. Unfortunately, that is not going to be enough to help them avoid being in an accident.
Advise your child on the importance of focused driving and having your eyes on the road at all times. Distracted driving is a huge cause of accidents in the U.S., so remind your child how dangerous it is and look up some stats to scare them straight. The number of fatal accidents caused by distracted driving particularly among teens would be enough to make anyone put their phone away while driving.
Cover These Areas of Driving Safely
- Buckling your seatbelt.
- Keeping eyes on the road.
- Keeping hands on the wheel.
- Putting phones away while driving.
- Checking blind spots.
- Keep an eye on other drivers.
- Don’t play music too loud.
- Never drive feeling sick or sleepy.
- Never drive intoxicated.
- Watch out for cyclists and pedestrians.
- Check your rearview mirror.
- Expect the unexpected.
- Pull to the side of the road and put on the blinker for emergency vehicles and police.
- Don’t speed or tailgate.
Speaking to your teen child about their driving and what is safe and what isn’t is important. You need to have this talk before they get their license so they’ve digested it and know how crucial it is to pay attention and compensate for their green status. If these tips should fail, contact an experienced car accident lawyer by calling The Law Offices of Payas, Payas, and Payas today.
