So your teenager is of age and ready to drive. Little stresses parents out more than letting their kids get behind the wheel of the family sedan. Driving comes with responsibility, concentration, and awareness, traits not all teens possess. While teaching your teen how to drive you should know the most common mistakes teen drivers make to help your teen avoid them.
The most common mistakes come from carelessness; speeding, making risky lane changes, following too closely, running red lights, and getting distracted are all recurring mistakes for teen drivers. It’s all too easy to let your foot push harder and harder on that gas pedal while feeling the exhilaration of speeding. Texting or talking on the phone while driving has caused thousands of teen deaths. Forgetting to check a blind spot or to fully check all mirrors before changing lanes have caused too many teens to put themselves and the passengers in danger. Being strict about staying focused and attentive while driving can help you teach your teens to avoid these common and dangerous mistakes.
Teens also should not be driving with other teens and young kids in the car. While you should check with your state’s specific laws regarding teen drivers, most states put age restrictions on the passengers of a teen driver. It’s convenient to have your teen pick up her younger siblings from school and soccer practice, but it may not be legal. If she were to get pulled over for speeding, for running a red light or stop sign, or cutting off another car with illegal passengers, it will create all kinds of other problems for you and your teen. Plus the more passengers she has, the more easily she can get distracted.
As your teen is learning this new life skill, there’s a lot of information to absorb and it’s stressful learning to control a few tons worth of metal. One aspect very few teenagers are taught to properly deal with is how to correct mistakes. It’s too easy to panic when something goes wrong and overcorrect a small mistake that could lead to rollovers and other dangerous accidents. It’s important you instill in your teen the importance of remaining calm and how to react in stressful driving scenarios.
Between school, sports, homework, extra curricular activities, and hanging out with friends, teens usually have full agendas. If your teen drives while tired, he is much more likely to make these mistakes which could lead to terrible results. When educating your teen on driving skills, make sure to reiterate how important it is that he doesn’t drive when tired. Make prior arrangements with him if he plans to be out late or have a really busy night ahead of him. As long as he isn’t too afraid to miss curfew or afraid of punishment, he should be comfortable letting you know if he’s unable to drive.
Understanding your auto insurance policy is a must before allowing your teen behind the wheel with or without you in the car. You don’t want to be stuck with damages or a totaled vehicle that your insurance won’t cover. You also don’t want your insurance rates skyrocketing if your teen gets into an accident or gets tickets while in control.
When your teen starts driving it’s exciting for them and frees up even more of your time. Starting off with proper education will ensure your teen makes good decisions behind the wheel.
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