Safe Driving Tips for Teens

As a parent of a teenager it can seem hard to get through to them, but talking to your teenager about safe driving practices can save their lives. Research has shown that parents who take the time to talk to their teen driver about responsible and safe driving habits actually do have safer teen drivers. It only makes sense, knowledge is key in these situations, and it is the lack of experience with car safety that puts so many teens at risk. You cannot assume your child will hear and learn all the real dangers you have learned in your decades of driving just because they take a driving class. That could be a deadly mistake. Communication between parent and child is key to imparting your years of experience. Below are five tips that you as a parent can speak to your teenage driver about to help keep them safe on the roads. Your children are your most precious treasure, and their safety is worth having a possibly uncomfortable conversation with.

• Remind your teenager to slow down.

Let your teenager know that not only is speeding dangerous, b it can also be very expensive depending on how fast they were going. Not only will they have the ticket to pay for, but also their car insurance can go up and they must have that in order to drive legally on the road. Your teen should also know that they need to adjust their speed according to road conditions and weather. Let them know that is okay to go under the speed limit if visibility to limited and they should also leave extra space in between them and the other cars. By leaving more space between them and the car in front of them, it makes it easier to stop if the person in front slams on their brakes suddenly. People think they are good drivers, but they do not always expect or anticipate that they have to be ready for other drivers who may be much more reckless and careless. This carelessness of others and avoiding accidents caused by others can be as important as not causing accidents in the first place.

Also, the Ohio Supreme Court recently ruled that police officers can give a speeding tickets just by seeing you speed. They do not need to use radar or laser gun to give you a ticket. This may mean more tickets, including for younger people.

• Limit the number of passengers and enforce it.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that teen drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a distraction-related crash than any other age group. You as a parent should be checking frequently and asking who your teen is driving around and punish them for breaking the rules. In my experience, you can expect your child to lie to you, so devise some other way to check up on them besides trusting them all the time. Talking to friends is a distraction that can be deadly, and I have seen this over and over in my Ohio personal injury practice. Teens do not realize the dangers of speed when they are in their cars. They may not have the experience to have seen first hand what cars can do to other cars and pedestrians, particularly at high speeds. This may be why teen auto insurance rates are so high. This lack of experience of driving and appreciating the dangers every time you get behind the wheel.

• Cell phones and texting while driving: a deadly combination.

While the state of Ohio has not passed a state wide ban on cell phone use or texting, they have given local cities the right to make there own laws. Many cities outside of Ohio have banned cell phone use to anyone under 18-years-old. Several counties have passed or are considering passing such a ban. As a parent you need to enforce a no talking or texting while driving rule. Nothing is too important that it cannot wait until your teen has reached their destination. Explain to them that it can wait; nothing is worth losing their life or endangering someone else’s. Teens do not realizing that texting slows down their reaction time as much as if they were legally drunk, if not more. It is absolutely crazy to text while operating a two-ton vehicle at high speeds with cars coming from all directions.

• Talk to your teen about drinking and driving.

While you may think it is obvious that your under-aged teenager will not drink and drive it is still important to explain the many dangers and consequences of it. Legal consequences as well as physical and even mental consequences can help put things into perspective for a teen. In 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety there were 1,254 alcohol-impaired drivers between the ages of 15-20 that were involved in accidents. 1,210 or 96.5% of those teens were the cause of the accident. Don’t let your teen become one of these statistics talk to them about drinking and driving.
Also, warn your child about getting into the car with anyone who they think may have been drinking. Don’t trust other teens when they say “I had a few beers but I am fine.” Help them understand that they are betting their life on the fact that this teen is able to know if they were drunk. Nobody sets out to drive drunk. Most thought they were fine. That is the danger of alcohol. You don’t always know when you are drunk enough to be an impaired driver. In my practice, I hear clients who were passengers in a drunk person’s car, I had no idea they were drunk. Even if you are legally able to drink, once drunk you are unable to tell if the driver is sober, since you yourself is impaired. This is why designated drivers, while perhaps not popular, are such a great idea. One person in the group can stay sober to make sure that everyone does not die in a horrible car crash. Think it cannot happen to your child? Think again. I see it all the time.

• Be a good teacher.

Remember that your teen is probably very stressed and nervous the first few times they get behind the wheel. Treat your child the way you wish your parents had treated you when you were just learning how to drive. Be patient with them, don’t yell, speak in a clear voice and be sure they understand what you are telling them. Try not to get discouraged or frustrated with them if they are not doing as well as you would like, because if you do, they will too. The more practice your teen gets with you the safer and more comfortable they will be when they are on their own.

With these tips you can make a huge difference in your teen’s life and safety behind the wheel. While your teen may pretend that they have it all figured out in life and they do not need you, they do. It is a child’s inability to know their limitations and their lack of life experience, including the very real dangers present while driving that put them at such risk. Make sure you are always there to talk to them about potential dangers on the road and life as they grow into adulthood. Don’t put off talking to them about the safe driving practices above. Better tell them now before you tell them over their grave. This is a reality. I see it in my practice all the time.

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