Five Safety Tips for Your Teen Driver
by Daniel Z. Kane
Few things are as frightening to a parent as handing the car keys over to a teenager, and with good reason. Accident rates for teen drivers, especially males, are far higher than for almost all other groups. While there is no way to fully protect your teenage driver, there are some things you can do to improve his or her odds on the highways.
First and foremost, be very vocal about your opposition to drinking and driving. My father told me I would not drive again until I became a legal adult if I was ever caught driving after drinking, and I believed him. Thus, although my friends and I did consume alcohol before we were adults, neither I or any of them drove after drinking.
Of course, you must take your own advice. If your teen driver observes you drinking after driving, he or she is far less likely to observe your mandate.
Make sure your teen driver knows that following too closely is the cause of hundreds of thousands of avoidable accidents every year. And, teach him or her that following the two second rule...passing landmarks no sooner than two seconds after the car you are following, will virtually eliminate the possibility of rear ending another automobile.
As you might guess, research has shown that the more teens there are riding in a car, the more likely the car is to be involved in an accident. Thus, limiting a new driver to one or two passengers may be worth considering.
Don't abdicate your responsibility to a driving instructor. Remember, it's not hard to pass a driver education course. So, spend at least ten or twenty hours observing your child's driving skills and instructing him or her before handing over the car keys and walking away.
Driving while speaking on the telephone has proven to be so dangerous that it is illegal in several states and legislation to make it illegal is pending in many others. Make staying off the phone while driving a no exceptions rule.
Seat belts can't prevent accidents, but they do prevent serious injuries and death. Impress that on your teen.
Remember, preaching safe driving is not a one time event. The more you remind your teenager(s) about the principles of safe driving, the better.
Daniel Z. Kane is a university dean and a parent. He has created websites on online colleges and online degrees. Click here to get your own unique version of this article.
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