Most parents dread the day that their teen gets their driver’s license. A number of accidents that teens are involved in are due to a lack of experience. Distracted driving is also a huge issue as even experienced drivers are guilty of this. You can breathe a sigh of relief if you have nailed safe driving practices into the head of your teen. The truth is that accidents do happen and they could be involved in one which is the fault of the other driver. Car maintenance is also something to stress as a focus on this will help your teen be a responsible car owner in the future. The following are things to teach your teen about safe driving and car maintenance.
Phone Use Should Be Eliminated
Texting and distracted driving lead to the fatalities of teens on an annual basis. Technology has made it as easy as ever to speak on the phone or send a text with your voice. Certain states have laws against talking on a traditional phone when driving. Checking the text history or social media post history timeline is important. You don’t want your teen to be one of those that use Snapchat while driving on the highway. Encourage your teen to call you to pick them up if traffic is too intense or the weather is too severe.
Limit The Number Of Passengers They Can Drive With
Passengers can be immensely distracting whether you are an experienced driver or not. They could be fiddling with the radio or being obviously loud. Once they have done a good job driving for a period of time you can increase the passenger limit by one and so on. You should also sit down with their siblings that they might take to school or to practice to go over rules. Fighting in the car is not something that should be done especially when the focus should be on driving. Siblings will argue but make sure they handle it at home rather than in the car on the way there.
Keep An Eye On The Oil Change Mileage
Teaching your teen about making sure the oil is changed is the most basic form of car maintenance besides filling up gas and washing the car. If you are someone that knows how to change the oil themselves, this can be a valuable lesson your teen can use in the future. The only drawback about knowing how to change oil is that you’ll get a number of requests from family or friends to do so. The various lights on the dashboard are important to pay attention to as well. You could find that you have an issue as the “Check Engine” light is on.
A Loss Of Privilege For Any Cases Of Intoxicated Driving
Drinking and driving results in so many unnecessary deaths. Today’s world is full of rideshare apps and your teen should know you’ll pick them up at any time of day or night. A tip that can be used is to give your child one “get out of hell free card” every 6 months or annually. The card will be something they can use during a time they might have had something to drink. The focus should be on getting them home safely and this agreement means they won’t be punished. If this happens again, the punishment is up to you as some parents have no problem with underage drinking if driving is not involved.
Listening for any strange noises is not something that all teens will do. Most people that have been driving for years immediately notice when their vehicle is making a strange noise. The culprit could be somewhere under the hood or a screw that one of the tires picked up on the road.
Reinforce Good Accident-Free Driving
Good driving habits being rewarded can encourage these habits to stick. Your teen could have a truck they paid for themselves that they are very proud of. Finding a lift kit for a truck or truck rims made of chrome or aluminum as a present can be something they appreciate. Even offering to pay their insurance for a few months can allow them to use their money for something they enjoy.
Your teen driving can make life far more convenient as they will gain a form of independence. Responsible driving and car ownership are two lessons that need to be taught to teens. You do not want some form of accident impacting them negatively for the rest of their lives either mentally or physically.