As a parent, you probably have to deal with some degree of anxiety whenever your teen driver leaves home to drive somewhere. You can help improve their chances of driving safely by following some tips. Have a look at seven of them below.
1. Carry a Limited Number of Passengers
Your teen driver should always limit the number of passengers they carry. This is because the more passengers in the car, the more potential distractions they have while driving. Teach them to tune out any passengers they may be carrying so they can focus on driving safely.
2. Listen to the Weather Report
With weather being a factor in almost 21% of all motor vehicle crashes in the U.S., it’s clearly important to watch the weather before setting out. Remind your teen to always know the weather patterns and understand the risks associated with driving in poor weather. If there’s a storm set to come, for instance, it’s best to avoid driving until the conditions are better.
3. Always Keep the Car Well-Maintained
A well-maintained car is a car that will function optimally and be easier to control. Because of this, tell your teen that every time before they leave home, they need to check the car and ensure it’s in good condition. Also, remind them to make time for scheduled maintenance of their car so they keep it in the best state at all times.
4. Keep a Safe Distance Behind Other Cars
Another important tip you should share with your teen is that they need to drive at a safe distance behind other cars. This is important because it’s impossible to know what is happening with other drivers at all times. Maintaining a reasonable distance behind them at all times will allow your teen to react safely in case of anything. This is especially true for commercial motor vehicles, which have about 5.9 million drivers operating them in the United States, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
5. Always Wear the Seatbelt
Another road safety tip to share with your teen driver is that they need to always wear their seatbelt. It has been proved that wearing a safety belt can help keep a car’s occupants safe in case an accident occurs. Remind them to wear it every single time, whether they’re the driver or the passenger, so they get used to wearing it constantly.
6. Avoid Distractions at All Times
With around 1.8 billion websites operating every single day at the same time around the world every day, it’s clear that there are many potential distractions presented by the mobile phone at any given time. From social media and texts to calls and other notifications that could come through on the phone, it’s important for your teen to be wary of distractions like these. Have them set their phones on silent until they arrive at their destination so they’re not tempted to pay extra attention to their handheld devices.
7. Limit Driving at Night
Finally, driving at night can pose serious threats to safe driving because of the limited vision any driver will likely have. There are also other issues to deal with, including glare and disorientation that may be experienced by a driver finding themselves in slightly unfamiliar locations. With all of this in mind, it’s important to offer to pick your teen up if they end up out late at night rather than have them risk driving in the dark.
With all of these tips, you will have a better chance of having your teen follow your instructions by setting a good example yourself. Remind them to practice and over time, they will be able to drive safely and you will have done a great job helping them learn.
