Does your child have the social driving skills necessary to stay safe on the road? Here are 3 tips to give your new teen driver!
by Troop Atomic Mommy
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So, you’ve gone through the process in helping your teenager buy a car, and now they’re a proud owner of their first starter vehicle. Sure, this may be a humble car, but when you’re that age, any car is amazing. Moreover, this vehicle will be where they gain their true experience as a driver. That said, even with the best will in the world, teenagers can make mistakes. This is especially true when encountering peer pressure or simply being too excited to handle it well.
Helping your teenager implement vehicle ground rules in their car can more easily help them take ownership of their driving day to day, as well as only accept those they can trust in their car. In other words, teaching them to consider their own car as an important place that they have complete control over will help them avoid making mistakes in order to impress people.
We all have to go through this, and so bringing some wisdom to your teenager can be a great idea. Let’s consider how to do so below:
#1 Ask Passengers For Gas Money
It’s important to instil in your teenager not to drive for free, unless it’s for a good reason. Sure, they might give their crush a lift for free or take a friend to the hospital without charging them, but it’s important that they don’t get taken advantage of because they may be one of the first to drive in their group of friends. Asking for fuel money is perfectly acceptable and a reliable way to keep driving the car as affordable as possible. It will also deter people who care more about getting rides than your teen’s costs, from asking for more free rides.
#2 Driving Conditions
Setting ground rules for vehicle-use is essential. As any worthwhile car accident attorney will tell you, a good portion of road traffic accidents occur because of distraction or being otherwise occupied while in the vehicle. It’s important for them to get enough sleep, to never allow smoking in their car, to limit how loud music can be played, and to never have more people in the car than there are seats. Demanding seatbelts be worn, and not allowing distractions from the backseat are also pretty good ideas.
#3 Teach Them To Say ‘No’
One of the best tips to give your new teen driver is this basic idea: “It’s healthy to say ‘no ‘ from time to time“, and that means on the roads, too. From taking a shortcut that your teenager isn’t sure about, to asking someone to get out of the car because of the mess they’re making, or simply not being the designated driver when going out to party all of the time–it’s 100% healthy for your teenager to say no to doing anything they are uncomfortable with doing. Just keep in mind that it’s hard for teenagers growing up as they all want to fit in, so it’s a good idea to remind them of this basic concept from time to time.
The Takeaway
By giving your new teen driver the above tips, we’re certain they will remain the excellent driver they were always going to be–only now, with a little more confidence and discipline on the roads.
