Getting a driver’s license is a momentous occasion in a teen’s life. Unfortunately, with that license can come a world of responsibility, and you need to make sure that your teen is properly trained before getting behind the wheel. The following are important tips to keep your teen safe while driving.
Practice Makes Perfect
In addition to their driver’s education courses, you can help your teen maintain a safe driving record by giving them a significant amount of practice. Handling the road is important to building their confidence, and you need to implement a plan where they can maneuver the vehicle in all types of weather conditions. This includes plenty of time behind the wheel driving in snow, rain, sleet, wind and sunshine. The drivers training courses prepare your teen for handling a variety of road conditions, but you need to place your confidence in them and have them practice in a variety of situations that include highway driving, country roads and city traffic. The more experience, the better driver that they will become.
Set a Good Example
A poor example of safe driving is telling your teen to drive safe, as you proceed to tailgate another vehicle on the roadway. If you want your teen to be a good driver and follow the rules of the road, you need to set a good example and do the same. This means following the appropriate speed limit, changing lanes using signals and using respect when dealing with other cars on the highway.
Sign a Contract
Today’s parents should put together a safe driving contract for their teen. This includes rules and regulations that parents set for their teen such as the hours that they can take the car, the number of people that can be in it, no drinking or drug usage, and the proper care when maintaining the vehicle. The contract could also include maintaining a suitable grade-point-average while going to school, paying for their own gas and insurance and a distracted driving clause where they promise to keep their cellphones tucked away throughout the entire time that they are in their vehicle.
According to one car accident attorney in West Palm Beach Florida, any activity that takes your attention away from driving is a distraction and can lead to a serious car accident. If your teen gets into trouble and breaks any of the rules, the contract will allow you to take the keys away at any time.
Buckle Up
Wearing a seat belt is mandatory in most states, and you need to teach your teen the importance of buckling up the moment that they get into their car. Seat belt safety has been proven to save lives by up to fifty percent. You can start by implementing the rule of putting their seat belt on the moment that they receive their permit to drive. Your teen can enforce the rules with the other passengers in the vehicle by keeping the car in park until everyone is suited up appropriately.
The number one cause of death among teens today is driving. You can ensure that your teen is properly prepared for such a major responsibility by enforcing the above safe driving tips.
Melanie Fleury is a nervous mother who worries about the day that her children will start driving. Steinger, Iscoe & Greene, a car accident attorney in West Palm Beach Florida, includes a list of many actions that can be a distraction for new drivers. Eating and drinking, using a cell phone, and even just changing the channel can be a potential safety concern. Keeping your kids informed of the dangers and consequences can help to ensure that they remain safe in the car.
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