Is your teen driver ready to get behind the wheel? Are they ready to enjoy the freedom that comes with a driver’s license and a set of keys? Yes, you need to insure your teen driver, and our team at Cormarc can help with that.
But how can you keep teen drivers safe? This is one of the first times you’re letting them out on their own—and behind the wheel of a car that can be dangerous to drive. Use these five safety tips to help your child remain safe and create a safety culture in your own home.
1. Parents Remain Involved with Teen Drivers
Parents should do everything they can to remain involved with their teen drivers. The best things to do are:
- Allow them to drive short trips so they get more practice
- Allow them to drive short trips so they get more practice
- Follow up on their driver’s education training
- Offer helpful, friendly driving tips while you’re behind the wheel
- Make sure your child is comfortable with driving
- Find out anything that they’re not comfortable doing
- Don’t push them to get their license
- But don’t let them get their license too quickly, either
2. Teach Road Sign Awareness
Teach your children road sign awareness above all else. This means they need to be aware of what’s changing and that road signs are a better measure of what’s going on than almost anything else.
It’s not just that—teach your kids what to do when they reach road signs. For example:
- Yield means you will likely need to slow dramatically or stop
- Stop signs do not mean everyone else is stopping too
- Speed limit signs change when the community changes (urban to suburban, etc.)
- Stop and listen at railroad crossings just to be sure nothing is coming
While these are not the only tips you can offer your teen driver, you should do your best to show them that road signs are literally everywhere. Plus, these signs offer a rough guide for what should be going on, allowing everyone to drive safely at or below the speed limit.
3. Invest in Wireless Technology
Make sure your child has a phone mount in the car and a way to plug into the car or connect wirelessly. Tell your teen drivers not to answer the phone unless you’re calling them (for emergencies only.) But you should also encourage your teen drivers to use GPS directions that will speak through the car and prevent them from getting lost.
There’s no shame in using GPS, but the phone needs to be on a mount and out of your kid’s hands.
At the very worst, someone else in the car should be holding the phone and reading out directions, sending texts, or answering calls.
4. Establish Teen Driving Routines
Driving routines will make it easy for you to keep your kids on a schedule and in good situations. These are some simple rules you can try in your home:
- Designate specific routes to your child’s most-traveled locations
- Take it upon yourself to allow or ban certain people from riding in the car
- Don’t allow nighttime driving until you feel your teen is ready
- Don’t allow driving in bad weather unless absolutely necessary
5. Be Mindful of Weekend Driving
Weekend driving might not seem any different from the rest of the week, but that’s not true. The weekend is a time for freedom, no school, no work, and no cares in the world.
A few weekend rules should include:
- Wearing sunglasses in bright light
- Setting new designated routes for weekend haunts
- Checking in with you when your teen gets to their destination
One more thing all parents should do is have an open-door policy. Teenagers often do things they shouldn’t, and your teen needs to feel free to call you at any time—for any reason—to pick them up. This is just the safest thing to do—no matter how objectionable the situation might be.
You can deal with the consequences of their actions after you pick them up.
Contact Cormarc Insurance for More Information on Auto Insurance and Teen Driving
Contact our team at Cormarc Insurance if you need more information on auto insurance for teens. We can also help you make the best decisions to keep your teen safe, along with keeping their auto insurance affordable. This mixture of practical, money-saving tips will help you build a safety culture in your home that doesn’t break the bank.