It’s back to school season! While we’re rounding up our freshly sharpened pencils and getting ready for cooler weather, there’s also the matter of traveling to and from school.
If you’re the parent of a current or soon-to-be teen driver, you may be experiencing some anxiety about your child getting behind the wheel.
Something that can ease your worry is talking to your teen about driving. Here are 5 topics you may want to cover:
5 Conversations to Have With Your Teen Driver
1. Discuss Driving Costs: Driving and owning a vehicle costs money and time. According to a 2017 AAA article, on average, new vehicles will cost a driver $1,186 annually to maintain and repair. Take care to outline the basic driving costs: gas, insurance, annual state inspections, and common repairs. Not only will you be teaching your teen the value of a vehicle, but you will be deterring unsafe driving practices.
2. Prepare Your Car: Before you send your child out, inspect the car. Are the tires filled? Do the windshield wipers and headlights work properly? Even the smallest details are important to ensure your teen’s safety. Luckily, we offer restoration services and other services to make sure your car is in prime condition for your youngster.
3. Headlights ON: Speaking of headlights, make sure your child turns the headlights on in the beginning of their driving experience. Keeping headlights on at all times will help your teen see and keep other drivers aware while on the road.
4. Limit Distractions: We live in an age of constant distractions; adolescents are often experienced multi-taskers, however, not while on the road! It’s important to enforce a few rules for your child in the first few months of driving:
- Cell phone off while driving. Research shows, texting can cause a loss of focus for roughly 4.6 seconds, which is like driving the length of a full football field! Invest in a GPS system for your teen to use in order to keep their eyes focused forward.
- Limit the number of guests in the vehicle. Friends and family can be distractions; it is smart to only allow one other person to ride along with your child initially.
- Educate your child about what to do during different weather conditions, such as fog, rain, and snow.
5. Be Prepared: Keep a roadside emergency kit handy for emergencies! Need a refresher on what should be in the car at all times? Visit our blog post for the essentials.
