As a parent, you always want your child to stay safe, no matter what they do in life. When your teenager first progresses from having their learner’s permit to getting their driver’s license, it might feel like a scary change since you cannot always accompany them on the road.
Teaching your teen to make safe driving choices can help alleviate some of that stress.
1. Model safe driving habits
Teens often learn by observing and emulating the behavior of those around them. Therefore, it becomes crucial that you model safe driving habits yourself. Follow all traffic laws, wear your seatbelt and avoid using your phone while behind the wheel. These actions will demonstrate to your child how they can drive safely.
2. Encourage lots of practice
Practice makes perfect, and this is especially true when operating any motor vehicle. Provide your teen with plenty of supervised driving practice. Gradually increase the difficulty of the driving conditions so they can experience all kinds of weather conditions and terrain. This will help them build their confidence on the road to becoming a safer driver.
3. Set clear expectations and consequences
Discuss your expectations regarding your teen’s driving habits, including following traffic laws, buckling up and avoiding distractions while driving. Ensure your teenager understands the seriousness of these expectations by setting consequences for unsafe driving behavior. This can include limiting driving hours or revoking driving privileges.
4. Discuss the dangers of distracted driving
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents involving teenagers. Talk to your teen about this and stress the importance of avoiding distractions such as texting, eating, using social media or applying makeup while driving.
Remember, the more effort you put into guiding your new driver towards safe roadway habits, the more skilled and secure they will become.