Teenage children can be a cause of concern for many parents. Their newfound independence and the parents’ need to protect their children can often cause friction in the household. When it comes to your teenager getting their driver’s license, however, it is highly likely you’re feeling extra nervous about their driving on their own, especially when they’re driving alone at night or with a friend, and is important to know the car is in good condition and you can even go online to get Diesel Performance Upgrades for your engine.
It’s typical to feel anxious about this big step and change in your teen’s life. To ensure your teenager understands the safety precautions they must take while operating a vehicle, consider having the following safe driving conversations with your new teen driver.
Basic Driving Precautions
There are several basic driving precautions your teen needs to understand. Here are a few tasks your teen needs to remember:
- Wear your seatbelt
- Keep both hands on the wheel
- Make sure mirrors are aligned correctly
- Use turning signals
- Obey speed limits
- Use the car’s lights
- Drive with caution
- Watch for pedestrians
- Be cautious at stoplights and four-way stop signs
- Drive slow in busy areas
If your teen wants to buy their own vehicle or you’re looking into which vehicle your teen should drive, it’s also important to consider the safest models. Toyotas, Hondas, and Subarus are often listed among the top safest brands for anyone to drive, but especially for teens and young adults. In fact, approximately 43,000 Subaru vehicles were sold in the United States in October 2014.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is an issue throughout the country for individuals of all ages. It’s not only important for your teen to understand the dangers of drinking and driving when it comes to their operation of a vehicle, but it’s also essential that your teen is always on the lookout for drunk drivers while they’re on the roads, especially at night and in the early morning hours.
Be sure to have a conversation with your teen about drinking and driving and how license reinstatement can be a hassle if they ever decide to drink and drive. Ensure your teen that if they’re ever in a dangerous situation or feel pressure to drive or get in the vehicle with an intoxicated person, you are a phone call or text away. It’s best to be open with your teen about this topic because they don’t want to make false insinuations and make a tragic mistake.
Distracted Driving
Alongside drunk driving, distracted driving is another major and growing problem. Especially for teens and young adults, cell phones and other electronic devices can serve as dangerous distractions. As technology continues to be utilized, the more distractions there are. More vehicles with tech-savvy features are being created and sold. In 2018, over 16,500 franchised dealerships sold 17.22 million vehicles, and many of them likely had features that involved cell phone plug-ins for GPS and music use.
Besides cell phones and electronics, food and drink can also be distractions. Suggest utilizing a straw if your teen must drink water while driving. Food can be a choking hazard, so eating should be eliminated altogether. A high number of people in a vehicle can also be a cause for distraction. It’s best to set limits for your teenage driver when it comes to these distractions. Be sure to limit the number of people allowed in your teen’s vehicle as well as set curfews.
Car Accident Procedures
Does your teen know what to do if they’re involved in a car accident? Most people don’t think to go over this important topic. Legal experts from Ury & Moskow suggest following these important steps:
- 1. Stop at the scene of an accident, no matter how big or small.
- 2. Put your flashers on. You want to warn other drivers that something has happened, and you want to prevent another accident from occurring.
- 3. Call the police. You’ll likely need to file an insurance claim with one of the 5,965 insurance companies in the United States that you’re a member of.
- 4. Describe what happened in detail. Be entirely honest, and if you don’t know the answer to a question, say you’re not sure.
- 5. Snap pictures of the damage to all vehicles involved. If you sustained injuries, be sure to take pictures of those, too. You may need them for insurance purposes.
- 6. Exchange information if the police don’t take it down. Be sure to exchange phone numbers and insurance information with anyone involved as well as witnesses.
- 7. File a report of the accident. Notify your insurance company of what happened.
- 8. Obtain medical attention. No matter how big or small your injuries are, seek medical attention as soon as possible to ensure you don’t have any underlying medical issues.
- 9. Hire a legal representative. This is an important step. Obtaining legal counsel is the best practice when it comes to a car accident. You need to protect yourself and your rights. Plus, you don’t want to make any mistakes and get yourself into trouble. Calling a lawyer may even be the first step you want to take so you don’t incriminate yourself.
Most importantly, to help protect you, your family members, your passengers and other drivers, make sure to consider getting a full coverage car insurance policy. If an accident happens, you want to know you have the right coverage to take care of any property or bodily injury costs that may arise.
Emergency Kit
You may also want to help your teen put together an emergency kit to keep in the vehicle they’ll be driving. This kit may include a backpack, an extra set of warm clothes, a blanket, a flashlight, a screwdriver, food, water, a list of emergency contacts, a portable cell phone charger, jumper cables, and more. If your teen were ever stranded or in an emergency situation, they could utilize the items in this kit. You should also make sure they have a contact book with a few people to call if they are ever in an emergency, a few ideas may be an auto repair shop for things like an oil change or brake repair, a car accident attorney(only if you can’t call one yourself) and a direct number for an ambulance if anyone every gets injured.
Your teen’s safety is of the utmost importance. Discuss how your teen can be a safe driver, the dangers of drinking and driving, and what to do in an emergency situation or accident. You’ll feel more at ease when your teen utilizes their newfound independence and begins driving on their own.
