Is your teen finally old enough to drive? Before letting your teenager go behind the wheel, it’s important for you to ensure they know and do what it takes to become a safer driver.
Research has found that motor vehicle crashes were the main cause of the majority of teenage deaths in the United States. Teenage drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 were more likely to be in a fatal crash than those aged 20 and older.
Inexperienced drivers, distracted driving, and drunk driving are just some of the many reasons behind the increased number of teenage car crashes. Fortunately, there are various steps you can take, as a parent, to ensure the safety of your children.
Below we will discuss how you can help your teen become a safe driver:
Practice makes perfect
The best way you can help your teenage children become more competent drivers is to make sure they spend a minimum of 30 to 50 hours on the road under supervision. This needs to be done for a period of around six months.
Mix up the routes with them by using different roads and taking them through high and low traffic areas. You may also limit driving during nighttime until they’ve perfected daytime driving first.
Think safety first
Your teen needs to be aware of the hazards of aggressive and inattentive driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation found that around 90 percent of all car crashes were due to a driver’s negligence.
You need to teach your child to leave sufficient space between them and the car in front. They must also know the importance of locking their doors, wearing a seatbelt at all times, and the dangers of texting/calling while driving.
These are the basics that can’t be overlooked. To maximize their safety, they must avoid driving near other vehicles showing signs of aggressive or drunk driving. Keeping a close eye on any pedestrians or road animals along the way is also a must, and something that’s often ignored by teenagers.
Don’t let them drive every car
Ideally speaking, teenagers should drive cars that are either mid or full-size, and are fully equipped with airbags. This is because larger sized cars provide more protection on the road.
You may want to avoid handing your teens a lustrous, high-performance or high-end vehicle if you think they’ll be tempted to speed drive in it. Consider also having a heavy-duty roll bar put in the vehicle to increase their safety.
Moreover, neither you nor your teenager should ever drive a car with a cracked windshield. If your car has a cracked windshield, get in touch with a windshield repair company ASAP.
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