5 Things Every Parent of Teen Drivers Should Do
As a parent, reaching the driving age is a big milestone for your teenager. It indicates that your child is gradually becoming an adult and their chance to get a taste of the freedom that comes with it. However, it also makes you nervous as you worry about whether they are prepared to be responsible young drivers. This is especially the case when teen driving statistics have been quite harrowing. For instance, research shows an average of 2,400 teens are lost yearly due to car accidents. As a parent of a teen driver, there are some things you can do to ensure their safety on the road to prevent harm from befalling your child. Below are a few things you should consider.
- Enforce a parent-teen driving contract
It’s one thing to simply talk about the rules and safety tips you want your teen driver to follow, and it’s another to put it in writing. Parent-Teen Driving Agreements or Contracts offer more “permanent” communication between you and your child. With verbal communication, your child can choose to listen and forget, or completely forget, the rules and safety tips you agreed to. However, when it is enforced in writing, your child can always refer to the document when in doubt. These agreements benefit both you and your teen driver as they prevent the issues of nagging, establish clear expectations and consequences for breaking any of the terms and conditions, and encourage a discussion on accountability and other safety issues. These contracts should include expected behavior when in the car, what to do during an emergency, curfews, and other safety precautions you would want to make your teen aware of and obey.
- Share legal tips and advice
As part of being a driver, your child would need to know about the legal aspects of driving. Teenagers are excited about being drivers, which may cause them to act recklessly. This puts them at risk of getting into accidents or violating traffic laws. Therefore, you are responsible as a parent to educate them on legal tips to follow. For instance, teach your teenager how to behave during traffic stops. This is important as it can be quite a nerve-wracking experience. Let them understand the importance of complying with the officer’s request, staying within the vehicle, and remaining calm. You should also educate your child on what to do after an accident, how to treat a ticket, and the importance of knowing your location’s traffic laws. Most importantly, it would be advisable to have a reliable firm, such as Sitkoff & Hanrahan, LL, on standby to offer legal advice or action when required.
- Set the rules about passengers
Another factor to consider as a parent of a teen driver is the passengers they entertain. Studies have shown that teenage drivers that have to follow teenage passengers are more likely to engage in risky behavior while on the road. Naturally, peer pressure and trying to impress friends may contribute to this result, and your teen is no different. Although some states have set laws concerning the passengers for new drivers, you can still set the limits for the passengers your child can have in the car. For example, you can limit the number of passengers and ages they can have at a given time. You can select the friends you would be comfortable having next to them when they drive.
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- Lisa has been blogging since 2013, and loves sharing resources and ideas for living a simple life. To get free printables, bonus words, and more - sign up for the newsletter.
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Great tips, Lisa. Thank you for sharing
Thanks so much for this amazing post.