If you have a teen driver now or are preparing for one in the near future, these Driving Tips For Teenage Drivers are the perfect way to help prepare them, and you!
The more tips and safety advice that you can give to your teen, the better chance that you’ll have that they will do what they can to drive safely and responsibly on the road.
Learning to drive as a teen is always an exciting new adventure. For years, they’ve watched Mom and Dad driving them to and fro, just waiting for the chance to be able to transport themselves anywhere that they want to go. Once that 16th birthday arrives, the first item on the minds of many teens is that they need and want to take their driver’s license test. It doesn’t matter the day, time, or planning involved to make it happen…Teens just crave the want and need to drive themselves.
As a parent, you *might” have been longing for this day to arrive as well as it will also give you a little bit more freedom, too. Before your teen takes over driving themselves to school and all their after-school activities, there are some important teen safety driving tips that they need to know!
Top 10 Safe Driving Tips For Teenage Drivers And Their Parents
1. Don’t text and drive
Let’s face it. Smartphones are a huge distraction for teens. Teaching your teen that texting and driving don’t mix is important. While your teen may think that they have the ability to multitask and do both, they don’t. Accidents can happen in a matter of seconds…those seconds that they thought that they could send a quick text or make a phone call may possibly be the seconds that harm them, or someone else, from wrecking their vehicle.
2. Talking on the cell phone and driving don’t mix.
Many teens may think that talking on the cell phone versus texting is safer, but doing anything that distracts them from the road is dangerous! Unless it’s an emergency, it’s always a good idea to not mess with the cell phone at all when driving. Obviously, we can use phone mounts in our cars to make hands-free use simple and effective. Check out a selection guide on safe and useful car phone mounts.
3. Never have the cruise control on when it’s raining.
Cruise control can be a great feature to use when traveling down the highway, but if that rain starts to fall, the cruise control needs to be turned off immediately. Roads can become slippery when wet and if your teen has the cruise control on, it’s an easy way for their wheels to slip and possibly even lose control of the car.
4. Enroll your teen in a Defensive Driving Course
Educating your teen on the importance of safe driving should be on your radar. Enrolling in a defensive driving course, like Tire Rack Street Survival School, allows your teen to understand their car, learn safety tips, and be prepared and educated on how to drive safely on the road. Skills that they will learn in Street Survival School will help them out for the rest of their life.
5. Learn to leave the radio controls alone.
It’s no secret that teens love their music, but it’s important for them to understand that they don’t need to focus on constantly having their favorite song blaring through the speakers. Keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes and ears focused on the road is what should be their main focus when driving.
6. Before doing anything, buckle the seat belt.
Before doing anything in the car, your teen needs to be in the habit of buckling their seat belt. Each and every time. That way, it becomes a habit that they don’t even think twice about it. Seatbelts save lives and it’s important for your teen to know and understand that.
7. Speed limit signs are meant to be followed.
Regardless of the saying “need for speed”, there isn’t a good reason for your teen to not obey the speed limit signs. Speeding causes accidents and also puts you and anyone else in your car in danger as well. Plus, following the speed limit is a great way to never have to worry about getting a speeding ticket. According to nhtsa.gov, “In 2018, speeding killed 9,378 people” (2017, para. 1).
8. It’s better to be late than in an accident.
Studies have shown that speeding because you are late isn’t really worth the risk. Speeding is a common cause for car accidents. If your teen is running late for school or an appointment, remind them that being a few minutes late is much better than risking their lives in an accident.
9. Don’t drive around other teen friends until comfortable driving yourself.
One of the other major reasons that teens can’t wait to get their driver’s license? They want to have their friends riding right along with them. While this is a super fun idea, it’s important that your teen understands that having extra people in the car can be a major distraction and safety issue. Have your teen practice driving alone for a while before starting to add other riders. That way, they’ll be comfortable with their processes and we have made habits that they can follow, even when other riders are involved.
10. Always make certain that your review mirror and side mirrors are set up for you and your vision.
If you and your teen share a car, it’s important that your teen driver realizes that they need to adjust all the mirrors to their height and vision preference each and every time that they are driving. Being able to see safely behind them and clearly on each side of the car is important and a critical safety tip that they can’t ignore.
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