If can be very frightening seeing your teenage son or daughter hit the road for the first time. When a teen drives, it’s one of the first times in their life where they’re entirely responsible for themselves, and that can be terrifying. The worst thing though, is that when you try to offer safety tips and advice most teens will deflect it because, well at that age, they ‘know everything’.
The thing is, no matter how much they protest it, when it comes to driving, a lot won’t have a clue. To combat this, and to make them more informed and at least safer, here are some tips to keep teen drivers safer when out on the road.
Impose a Curfew
Driving during the hours of darkness is far more difficult and poses more risks than driving during the daytime. Visibility is decreased and there is more likelihood of drunk drivers on the road once night falls. To combat this, it’s a good idea to limit the hours in which your teenager can use their car when they’re first starting out, to help keep them safe.
Of course, they’re going to have to learn and get more comfortable driving in the dark eventually, but this skill should be introduced when you’re confident that your child has mastered daytime driving. This is even more critical for any motorbike riders, as they are extremely difficult for other drivers to see, especially in the dark. This means they should only start night driving when they’re extremely competent, as this will limit them needing a Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer, as most motorcycle collisions happen at night.
Lead by Example
In all parts of parenthood, the child will mimic and pick up on habits and behaviors from their parents. This means that if you yourself aren’t a safe and careful driver, then it’s highly likely that your child won’t be either. This means you need to put the effort in to adopt good practices if you don’t already, such as using a seatbelt for every trip, staying within the speed limit and avoiding your phone while driving. Doing this will make it more likely that your teenage driver will follow suit.
Limit the Amount of Passengers
The higher amount of passengers in a young driver’s car increases the likelihood of distractions. It’s a good idea to limit new drivers to just a single passenger or two at a push, as this will allow them to concentrate better and avoid getting sucked in to banter and other conversations that could put them off their driving. It’s also important to have the right passengers. Intoxicated or impaired people can be a far greater hassle to deal with, creating a very unsafe driving scenario.
Refresh Their Knowledge
Even if a teen might have passed their driving test and have a full license, it doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. This is because there might be a lot of situations that a new driver won’t be experiencing often as they cruise around their hometown, meaning they may be forgetting some critical driving rules and methods for certain scenarios.
It’s a good idea to keep testing your teenage children about certain road rules and solutions to specific situations. This will help them keep their driving knowledge fresh and should help them develop into a safe and confident driver.
