You remember finding out you were pregnant, their first day of school and all the wonderful highlights in between. Now they’re getting older they want to learn to drive and enjoy their own freedom and independence.
As parents, we have to let them live their own lives, but when a large percentage of road accidents, injuries, and even deaths involve teenagers, handing them the keys to their own car is incredibly frightening – click the link to find a Columbia car accident lawyer. With many parents anxious to give their children the independence their children crave, it makes sense to look at ways you can keep your teen driver safe, without denying them their freedom.
Here we’ll look at some simple tips that will help keep your teen driver safe.
Tips for keeping your teen driver safe
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Make Sure They Buckle Up
When they took driving lessons, they will have buckled up every time they got in the vehicle. However, now that they’re driving independently your teen is more likely to forget. Reminding them about the importance of wearing a seatbelt could save their life, and they should also be aware of getting everyone in the vehicle to wear a seatbelt. As the driver, they’re responsible for the safety of their passengers.
Driving under the influence
There is no excuse for drinking and driving. Or driving under the influence of drugs. Make sure your teen knows the dangers involved and how a DUI could ruin their life or destroy someone else’s. Set a good example by never driving under the influence of alcohol.
Bonus tip: Often teens drink and drive because they’re too embarrassed to call their parents to tell them they’re drunk. Let your teen know that no matter what alcoholic state they’re in or where they are, you will come and collect them without judgment. As long as they don’t drink and drive! Focus on building a strong relationship with your teen.
Encourage them to take additional lessons
The last thing your teen wants is to have more lessons but to quell your own safety fears, encourage them to take a defensive driving course. This course will give them additional driving skills, helps keep them safe on the roads, and lowers their insurance premiums too!
Remind them of the dangers of peer pressure
Peer pressure is not OK. Especially when your teen is behind the wheel. Maybe they have a friend who wants them to drive over the speed limit or take risks. Or maybe they’re guilt-tripping them into being their personal taxi driver. Make sure your teen is aware of the signs of peer pressure and remind them that they should never put themselves at risk when driving. If this kind of behavior persists, advise them to move on from that toxic “friendship”.
Set a good example
Our children can pick up a lot of bad habits from their parents, including bad driving practices! Distracted driving causes thousands of accidents each year, whether that’s using your phone behind the wheel, fiddling with the radio, eating and drinking, or just not concentrating on the road ahead. Set a good example and, hopefully, they’ll only mimic your good driving behaviors.