For a teen, there’s nothing more exciting than passing the driver’s test. Being able to drive gives them a new source of freedom and responsibility.
But for parents, seeing your child get behind the wheel of a car is stressful, to say the least. Auto accidents are one of the top five most common types of personal injury cases, and in auto accident cases it’s important to hire a car accident lawyer or personal injury lawyer to defend your child’s rights. It’s estimated that 80% of bumper scratches occur when a driver is parking their own car.
It takes a lot of time, patience, and communication to feel better about your child driving. But the good news is there are a few ways you can reduce your teen driver’s risk of getting into a car accident while they’re behind the wheel.
Make sure they’re undergoing their regular eye exams
A medical exam may be the last thing on your mind when it comes to your child’s driving. But according to the National Commission on Vision and Health, one out of every four children between the ages of five and 17 have a problem with their vision.
It’s important that your child visit their eye doctor approximately once every two years. Don’t wait until your teen starts to experience blurred vision or other vision problems. Regular eye exams can help to spot early signs of arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and glaucoma. You’re already paying almost $649 for regular home expenses. The last thing your teen needs is a medical bill from a car accident that could have been avoided with the right eyeglasses prescription.
Consider getting them (or suggesting they buy) a newer model car
Some car lovers are under the impression that older vehicles are built to last because they’re made of mostly steel. While steel is still used in today’s vehicles — 13% of the world’s steel is used in the automotive industry — there’s far less steel in a modern car than there is in a vehicle built prior to 1948.
This doesn’t make modern cars less safe. In fact, modern cars are actually much safer than older vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.
Today’s vehicles are built to cushion passengers in the event of an accident so the damage occurs to the vehicle instead of the driver. Even newer vehicles are equipped with safety technology including rear-view cameras and blindspot monitoring system.
That said, consider getting your teen a newer model vehicle or, if your teen is buying their own car, suggest they choose a model that’s been built more recently. Just be sure that if the car they buy is brand new that they don’t rely too heavily on new vehicle safety technologies, which are designed only to assist the driver.
Have your teen driver sign up for a defensive driving course
It’s great that your teen has officially passed their driver’s test and that they’re now able to get behind the wheel all on their own. But it’s important that your teen doesn’t forget that the real world is much different than driving on a safety course.
Once your teen has gotten the hang of driving around on their own, suggest that they sign up for a defensive driving course to refresh their skills and learn new ones. Defensive driving is great for drivers of all skill levels because it helps you learn how to respond properly to unexpected obstacles.
For instance, your child may know how to turn correctly at a four-way stop. But do they know how to safely pull over when there’s a spider in the vehicle, or what to do when a deer runs across the road? A defensive driving course can help both you and your teen driver feel safer and more secure.
