Most parents face a mixture of excitement and terror when it comes to the thought of their teenagers driving. Sure, you have another driver to run errands and help you out, but teens often drive distracted and do not have as much experience at avoiding accidents as older drivers.
Your teen will be on the road with other teen drivers, and the dangers that come with that are very real. To prevent your child from becoming the cause of a deadly accident, you may want to teach them to focus on driving in the following ways.
1. Control the phone
Cell phones are a huge problem when it comes to motor vehicle accidents and injuries. Many blame texting and driving, but the reality is that even an emotional phone conversation can distract a driver from the road. Teach your teen to put the phone in do-not-disturb mode or to put it in the glove box when driving.
2. Gradually work them into driving with passengers
Another thing that easily distracts teens when driving is having passengers in the car. Give your teen a few months of driving on the road alone before you add in passengers and friends. A group of rowdy kids can be a complete distraction for even the safest, most careful driver.
3. Set the tone for your kids
You can tell your kids that they should always focus on driving, but they will push the rules as far as they see you push them. Drive the way you want your kids to, and set a prime example for how they can avoid distractions.
4. Set hard seatbelt limits
Seatbelts save lives every day, and your teen driver needs to know that there is no option when it comes to wearing a seatbelt. This should be habit every time they get in the car. Not only does this protect them from their own distractions, but it also keeps them safe if they are in an accident with another distracted driver.
While you can set a good example and teach your children to drive safely, you cannot control the behavior of others and how they drive. If you or your child were in an accident caused by the distraction of another, an attorney may be able to help.
