6 Road Safety Tips For Your New Teen Driver

Most teens can’t wait to pass that driving test and get their license. For them, it’s a very important rite of passage. As a parent, you can get a bit worried since the road is not very safe for inexperienced drivers. However, you can’t stop your teen from driving because the action can also work at your advantage. Teens that drive are more likely to be:

• Responsible
• Have a high self esteem
• Be more independent

Your job as a parent is to guide your teen and give them safety tips that they can use on the road.

Road Safety Tips

1. The Phone should be kept Away

Before you give the car keys to your teenage son or daughter, tell them to switch off their phones or keep it on silent when they enter the car. A driver that uses their smartphone while driving is likely to cause an accident because they are distracted.

However, there are times when the phone call could be very important. You could be the one calling to check up on them. Tell your teenage daughter or son that they should park the car by the roadside if they want to pick a phone call. Let them put the hazard lights on if it’s not a designated parking spot.

2. Encourage them to Carry Less Passengers

Your teen driver should know that you’re not trying to control them by asking them to limit the number of passengers. Let them look at the logic behind this argument. If they have many people in the car, the passengers may ask them to go fast or turn up the music. If your teenage son or daughter is not used to driving while listening to loud music, they can become a bit distracted on the road.

As an added precaution, you can get car tracking by GPSWOX and keep an eye on your teen driver. As much as you trust them, you cannot control who they hang out with; therefore, it’s best to know where they are at all times.

3. Teach them to Check their Blind Spots

Even though the side and rear mirrors help the drivers know what’s around them, they are not enough. There are still some spots that you cannot see with those mirrors. Encourage your teenage driver to always check over their shoulders before pulling out of a parking spot or kerb. This is because there could be someone standing in the blind spot. Let them make it a habit, and they will avoid accidents.

4. They Should Not Drive if They Feel Tired

Another advice comes from the Limo Find — young drivers should avoid driving when they feel tired. Teach them how to notice the signs of tiredness and sleepiness. For example, if they notice that their mind is always drifting off or they cannot focus properly, they should pull over and find a place where they can take a quick power nap. Other signs include blinking all the time and difficulty keeping the head up.

If they really have to get to where they are going, let them know that it’s okay to order a taxi. They should never compromise on their safety.

5. They Should Not Speed

Young teen drivers like to have a little bit of fun on the road. Most of them will speed because they want to be ahead of the other cars. Let your teenage son or daughter know that it’s not a good idea to speed. Unless they are on the highway, they should always stick to the minimum speed limit.

Speeding can lead to expensive parking tickets and high insurance costs. Let your teen son or daughter know that it’s the destination that matters the most, not how fast you get there. If they have an important appointment, they should learn to wake up and leave early so that they don’t feel the need to speed.

6. They Should Always Wear a Safety Belt

This is the first lesson that they teach most learner drivers in driving school. Make sure that your teen driver fastens their seat belt before they switch on the engine. It doesn’t matter whether the trip is long or short. As long as they are on the wheel, safety should come first.

This is because a safety belt prevents the driver from being thrown out of the vehicle during a collision.