How To Teach Your Teens About Safe Driving

Teens that are reaching that magical age where they can hit the open road and drive bring about a sense of fear in doubt in their parents. This is natural as parents see their teens as children and also know them to be somewhat irresponsible and distracted at times; and thus the thought of that same child whipping down the freeway at eighty miles per hour is a scary thought to have as a parent. There are a few tips one can use to make sure teens know what safe driving is all about and why it is so important.

Open And Honest Discussions

The best place to start in teaching teens about driver safety is through open and honest talks. This needs to be a conversation that happens more than once and it is also one that needs to be done in a calm and rational manner. Parents must let teens knows that driving a vehicle is a big responsibility and paying attention while driving is a top priority. In fact, the basic rules of the house for driving can be outlined and topics such as no texting while driving and no driving when tired should be broached right off the bat.

Talks While Out Driving

Adding to the talks parents need to have with their teens is additional real life lessons that are discussed while out driving. This is where you talk to your teen about rules of the road and the things you see around you while out driving. This involves pointing out poor judgement or behavior by other drivers while you’re teen is in the car.

Setting Rules With Ramifications

There must be rules for teens who drive to keep them safe and to keep parents fears quelled. This can be reviewing cell phone records to see if a teen was texting, talking or using social media while out driving and also checking mileage on vehicles to verify only the distance allowed was actually driven. Parents must set a series of consequences for when rules are broken and let teens know this is for their own safety.

Videos And Graphical Illustrations For A Non-Traditional Impact

It is often hard for teens to grasp the ramifications of bad or poor driving as they are at the age where they truly feel almost invincible. This is where showing your teen graphic images, videos or even footage of accidents can work as they show them what happens when bad driving choices are made. This can be where topics such as drinking and driving, texting and driving or even speeding are discussed and thus the parent shows the teen what can happen when those things occur and tragedy ensues.

It is always hard to pass through each stage of a child that is maturing and thus gaining new responsibilities. Driving is one of the hardest as parents relinquish control when they hand over those keys and watch their teen drive off in to the seemingly unknown. Making sure your teen has the right training, skills and knowledge about driving and driving safety will help to ensure they remain safe on the road to the best of their, and you, ability.

Eduardo Dieguez is a professional blogger at CFL Insurance. He is a 1st generation American born Cuban that is currently in pursuit of his AA Degree at Valencia.

Image credit: State Farm