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Make Your Teen a Smart Driver

Written By Pam Gaulin

Parents can rest easy when their teenagers take the car. Parents play an important role in making their teen a smart driver and a safe driver. Teaching your teens to be smart and safe while driving starts with you.

Provide a Good Example

The best way to teach teens to be smart drivers and safe drivers is to show them how, every time you get behind the wheel. Well before they are teens, your child is already learning about driving from you. When you follow the rules of the road, children will see that.

Parents should wear their seat belts and always strap in their kids. By the time kids are old enough to secure their own seat belts, they should do so without being asked. Parents who tell kids that they won't be going anywhere unless seat belts are buckled set a good example for future teen drivers. Teen drivers will be safer when they use their seat belts. The teen driver will also be smart enough to know that as the driver it's their responsibility to ensure all passengers are buckled in safely.

Driver's Training or Education

One way to make a teen a smarter driver is to enroll them in a driver's training course. The driver's training course may take a more academic, factual approach than you, as a parent, may be prone to do when teaching a teen about driving.

The teen will learn road rules and their state's traffic rules - all put in place to increase driving safety.

Parents of teens can review or follow up with their teens about each driver's training session. Find out what they learned at driver's training. Discuss any questions they may have about their most reason lesson.

Being open to a teen's curiosities and questions pertaining to driving will set the stage for you to be more involved in teaching your teen to be a safe driver.

Proper Speed

Teach teens to be smarter drivers by explaining the importance of following speed limits. Driving too fast or too slow can both cause driving hazards.

Defensive Driving Techniques

Teach teens the basics of defensive driving. Teens should be taught to drive at least one car length behind the vehicle in front of them and that tailgating is dangerous.

A parent can also make a safer driver of their teen when they teach teens to avoid other unsafe drivers on the road. If a driver is tailgating behind the teen, or driving erratically in front of the teen, the teen should be advised not to engage the other driver. When safe, the teen should pull over and avoid engaging in road games with the other unsafe driver.

Driving Curfew

If you do not have a curfew for your teen, you may want to start using one with your new teen driver. A curfew for teen drivers is just one of the rules that can help keep teen drivers safe. A teen who comes home before or at curfew and follows your rules is more apt to follow the rules of the road, making them a safer driver.

Rules and Restrictions

Parents can make their teens smarter and safer drivers when they place rules and restrictions on a teen's driving experience. Also limit the number of passengers a teen can have in the car when they first start driving. This will teach teens that driving is not about having a party of friends in the car. It's about a convenient method of transportation.

Take a Ride

Parents can make their teens smarter drivers when they take an observatory ride with their teens. During the driving learning process, and even after a teen gets their license, parents should take a ride with their teens. Observe the teen's driving and then discuss any concerns you may have after the car has come to a stop.

No Brainers

Let your teen driver know that drinking and driving are never acceptable for them or for their friends. Establish a zero tolerance rule with teens before they ever sit behind the wheel.

Teen and Parent Contract

Make your teen a safer and smarter driver by having them sign a Parent and Teen Driving Contract. The contract will make the driving rules you set forth more official, and the teen will be responsible for upholding their end of the contract.

Sources

Statefarm.com
http://www.statefarm.com/learning/be_safe/road/teen.asp

MetLife.com
http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/0,4132,P3724,00.html

RoadReadyTeens.org
http://www.roadreadyteens.org/a_parents_guide2.html

NSC.org
http://www.nsc.org/resources/issues/teendriving.aspx

Allstate.com
http://www.allstate.com/tools-and-resources/teen-smart-driver.aspx

SAMHSA.gov
http://family.samhsa.gov/set/teendrivers.aspx

 

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