As a parent of a teen driver, it is normal to worry about their safety. This is because teenagers are more prone to road accidents due to recklessness, distraction and lack of enough experience. However, just because your teenager has only started driving recently doesn’t automatically mean they’ll get involved in an accident. With the right training on road safety, your teenager can develop good driving practices.
In order to provide your child with the right road safety training, you’ll need to ensure they get enough hours on the road in order to gather some practical experience.
How to Educate Your Teen on Safe Driving
Lack of adequate driving experience can increase the risk of auto accidents involving teenagers. It is therefore important to ensure that your teen receives enough practice before driving on their own. Moreover, you should only allow them to drive once you are sure they have a good grasp on safe driving.
So how can you achieve this?
When training your teenager on road safety, it is vital that you instruct them on speed limits, proper navigation and trailing. If possible, you should impart the training while driving in order to provide your teenager with practical experience. This hands-on approach allows your child to apply the skills they are learning in a real setting.
More importantly, you are advised to maintain a calm demeanor when training them on safe driving. Trying to hammer on instructions over their heads will only cause them to shut off and pretend to be listening. The goal is to reinforce a positive attitude to your teen so that he/she may be genuinely interested in learning proper conduct as a young driver.
You should also train your child on the importance of focus when driving. A significant number of auto accidents happen due to distracted driving, which teenagers are more susceptible too. For this reason, you should speak to your teen about the dangers of driving while texting or using their phone.
Some of the areas you should cover when training your teenager on safe driving include:
- Safe and consistent seat belt usage
- Maintaining focus on the road when driving
- Always keeping their hands on the steering wheel
- Paying attention to the movements of other drivers on the road
- Keeping the volume low when listening to music while driving
- Never driving when sleepy, tired or under the influence of alcohol
- Checking the rear mirror regularly
- Maintaining a reasonable speed limit
- Keeping an eye on other pedestrians and cyclists
- Pulling over in case of an emergency situation and using s blinker to signal emergency vehicles.
Take Away
With proper training and ample practice, you can help your child become a proficient and safe driver. This, however, does not mean the risk of accidents is completely eliminated. If your child gets involved in a road accident, contact a car accident lawyer immediately. They will be happy to counsel and advise you on the appropriate legal measures to take.