Driving Habits That Will Keep Your Teen Safe

teen driver
Image: Flickr

As a parent, I’m sure you have a natural inclination to think of your kids as… well, kids! As much as we’d like to hover around them all the time and do all we can to protect them, there are various stages in life where we need to let them spread their wings. If your teenager has just started driving solo, here are some important safety points to drill in!

Keep to the Speed Limit

Speed Limit Teen Driving
Image: Wikimedia

This one’s especially important for male teenagers, who are statistically more likely to break the speed limit. However, whether you have a boy or a girl, this is a highly important point for them to keep in mind. When teenagers first get the independence of driving without a parent or instructor, many of them start to see speed limits as one more boundary that they can forget about now that they’ve passed their test. Obviously, this isn’t the case. Be sure to remind them that speed limits are there to save lives, not to cramp their style!

Practice Defensive Driving

If your teen hasn’t quite passed their test, and you’re reading this in preparation, then you’ve got a great opportunity to ensure they’re staying safe on the roads. The next time they’re driving with you in the passenger seat, get them to practice some defensive driving maneuvers. Make sure that your teen is constantly aware of the traffic ahead, behind, and in-line with them, and that they’re keeping possible escape routes in mind should they need them. At the very least, ensure that they’re leaving one car space between themselves and the driver in front of them, and a larger buffer when they get up to higher speeds.

Minimize Distractions

driving distractions teen driver
Image: Pexels

Most of us are guilty of distracted driving at one point or another. I’m sure you’ll agree that it can be tempting to eat, fiddle with the satnav, or change the song on your phone when you’re driving. However, this is something your teen should be avoiding as much as possible, especially as they’re so inexperienced. Accident and injury firms like SiebenCarey are constantly dealing with collisions which could have been avoided if a driver hadn’t been distracted at the wheel. Make sure you’re setting a good example and encouraging your teen to avoid distractions at the wheel.

Try to Drive Solo

This is perhaps the hardest safe habit to drill into your teen, especially if they’re the first one of their social circle to pass their test. However, it’s also a very important one to instill as much as possible. Studies have shown that having just one teenage passenger in your car can double the chances of a crash, and with every additional teen passenger the risk goes up and up. With any luck, your teen will realize how hard it is to stay focussed with a full car and avoid it in the future. Still, you should make a point of reminding them how dangerous it can be to let four friends pile into the car!

 

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