One of the most pivotal moments in any adolescent’s life is when they obtain their first driver’s license. On the other hand, parents have reported that their teen’s first driver’s license often sends them into a world of panic. You have likely reacted in the way that most parents have when your teen received their first license.
Luckily, there are a multitude of things that you teach your teen in order to allow them to stay safe and alert while driving, so they can reach every destination without incident. Here are a few road safety tips for your new driver.
Get Familiar with “Car Mode”
Cell phone companies have managed to make a few technological advances as well. These days, cellular devices have a function that disables unnecessary applications while driving. This mode is commonly referred to as “car mode.”
Figure out where you can enable car mode on your child’s device, and teach them how to turn it on and off before driving. Some vehicles also have the capacity to automatically turn a driver’s phone to “car mode” once it connects to the car’s wi-fi.
Seatbelts
Over the last few decades, preventable deaths from collisions have sharply declined. This is mostly due to compulsory seat belt use. Before these laws took effect, many adolescents involved in car crashes died because they were thrown out of their vehicles due to not wearing a seat belt. Teach your teenager about how important it is to strap on their seatbelt, no matter how close or far their destination may be.
No Friends Allowed for the First Year
Most adolescents are tempted to show off in front of their peers when they receive their first driver’s license. They are likely to drive too fast and engage in extremely reckless behavior while on the road when they are with their friends in the car. Due to these reasons, it is best to keep friends out of your teen’s vehicle for about a year. This will help ensure that your teenage driver is focusing on the road instead of their friend’s conversations around them.
Teach Your New Driver about the Dangers of Speed
High-velocity collisions greatly impact whether or not a person walks away from the scene of the accident. Collisions that occur at a lower speed tend to have a much higher survivability rate when compared to high-velocity incidents. It is imperative that you keep your new driver off the highway for their first few months of driving. Once they have proven to be safe drivers at lower rates of speed, then you could consider allowing them to drive on the highway.
Drugs and Alcohol
One of the biggest factors in vehicle accidents, regardless of age, is the presence of illicit narcotics or alcohol at the crash site. Remind your new driver of the dangers of driving while high or while intoxicated.
Show them what the legal repercussions could be if they cause a crash while impaired. Remind them that their life is just getting started and that throwing it all away due to a horrific car crash is just not worth it.
Be Prepared for the Unexpected
Unfortunately, statistics show that many teenage drivers will be involved in an accident at least once before their eighteenth birthday. One-quarter of all new teenage drivers will be involved in some sort of traffic collision at least one time prior to their eighteenth birthday.
Studies have shown that there are close to one million accidents caused by teenage drivers every year. Annually, there are thousands of car collisions in which the teenage driver is not at fault as well. One of the worst phone calls any parent of a teen driver can receive is one saying that their child has been injured in a collision.
If you find yourself in these difficult circumstances, it is important for you to reach out to a new york personal injury lawyer. These attorneys have been specially trained to handle these tough litigation cases and can help you and your teenager receive justice and compensation for damage and injuries.
Young drivers have developed a bit of a reputation for being notoriously impulsive and inadequate during their first few years. By having frank and open conversations with them and equipping them with all the skills and tools they need, you can help your teenager develop safe and vigilant driving habits, which they can carry with them into adulthood.
