With millions of drivers on the U.S. roadways, it’s important to teach your teen about road safety and how to drive responsibly.
Safe driving doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and many people overestimate their teen’s ability to make wise decisions when behind the wheel. There are some safe driving basics that will make all the difference when it comes time to let your teen drive, and we’re here to help.
8 Road Safety Tips to Teach Teen Drivers
Continue reading this article to learn what to teach your teen when they’re hitting the road.
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Get Familiar With the Vehicle
The most important part of learning to drive happens before your teen goes out on the road. You need to teach them about the vehicle they’re going to be driving and make sure they’re comfortable with the controls.
When your teen feels comfortable about their ability to make the car do what they want it to, it’s much more likely that they will be confident when they start driving. Having confidence behind the wheel will help them make decisions with a clear mind.
Every car is different, so when you start teaching them, act like the vehicle you’re going through is totally new to both of you and tell them about all of the controls on the car.
Some of the things you need to walk them through are:
- How to adjust the seat and steering wheel
- How to use the dashboard controls
- How to adjust their mirrors
- How to use the headlights
- How to use the turn signals
- What safety features the car has
- How to use the windshield wipers
- Where the emergency lights are
- How to put the parking brake on and how to release it
- How to start and turn off the vehicle
- How to use the gas and the brakes
- Where warning lights are and what they mean
Once they have a basic understanding of these things, it’s time to move to the next step.
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Choose a Low-Stress Driving Area
Teaching your teen how to drive in a low-stress area will help them build confidence for when they do get on the busy roadways.
Your goal is to help them learn how to stay on one side of the road, how to watch for other vehicles, stop at stop signs, and keep the car under their control.
Look for places that have speed limits that are under 35, so they won’t have to rush to pull out in front of people. Make sure to advise them that the speed limit doesn’t mean you always have to drive that fast.
If the weather is bad, they can drive slower than the speed limit to make sure they’re safe and avoiding accidents.
If something does happen during their time on the road, you might have to speak to auto accident lawyers for help.
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Get Good at the Basics
Before you have your child start driving on the highway, you need to make sure they know some of the basics. Some of the basics like how to stick to the speed limit, how to use turn signals, how to brake slowly and stop, and how to make the vehicle go without jerking.
The more basics they learn, the more confident they’ll be and the more confident you’ll be in their understanding and abilities. Watch them and see which skills they’re confident in and work on the ones that they still need help with.
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Learn to Drive Confidently on the Highway
Driving on the highway is a big step to take. You might notice that your teen is nervous and scared.
For the first few times they hit the road, pick a quiet time where it won’t be so stressful. Let them get used to driving where there are multiple lanes of traffic so they can practice merging and changing lanes with other vehicles around.
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Stay Off the Phone
One of the biggest problems these days is that teens are texting and driving or talking and driving. Texting and driving can be fatal, and you should make sure they understand how serious it is.
Keep in mind that most states have laws against using your phone while driving. If they get caught texting and driving, make sure they understand what is at stake.
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Decrease Distractions
It’s easy to get distracted, even when they’re not on our phone. There’s the radio, there’s food, friends and other things that can cause you to lose focus on what you’re doing.
The more distractions there are, the more likely it is that your new driver is going to have an accident. Making teens aware of distractions and how to deal with them can help them as they’re getting started.
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Master Parking
Parking can be challenging since there are so many places to park, different sizes of cars, and more. The good news is that there are plenty of places with huge parking lots where no one is going to bother your teen.
You can take as much time as you need and teach them how to park both pulling in and backing up.
Once they’ve learned how to park at these locations, it’s time to move on to busier areas and see how they do when other people are involved.
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Know How to Drive Defensively
Your teen needs to know how to look at the road ahead and see anything that might get in the way. There could be a tree down, a dog in the road, or there might be another car pulling out in front of them.
When you see they are aware of everything that is taking place, you’ll know they are well on their way to being able to drive on the road safely.
Teach your teen how far to be behind the driver ahead of them, how to drive in different weather conditions, and more.
Keeping Road Safety In Mind at All Times
Now that you know some of the most important road safety tips to teach your teen, you’ll be able to feel more confident when they start driving. You’ll know you did what you can to ensure they are safe, even when you’re not there to help them.
Do you want to learn more about driving, parenting, and other important topics? Continue through our blog to get the information you need.
