When your teen first gets behind the wheel of your vehicle, it’s as exciting as it is terrifying. Enrolling them in a driver training program will go a long way towards easing these fears. In the meantime, there are three key safety tips you can reinforce at home.
Top 3 Driving Safety Tips for Teens
1. Turn the Phone Off
Today’s teen is glued to their smart phone. Tech-savvy and driven to stay connected, teens often underestimate the risks associated with using their phone while driving. Most people know not to text and drive, but encourage them to turn off their phone entirely. This eliminates the urge to check who’s calling, quickly respond to a text, or scroll social media at traffic lights.
2. Keep Distractions to a Bare Minimum
This is the first thing student drivers are taught, as distractions extend beyond the use of their phones. Encourage your teen to choose a radio station before heading out and resist the urge to eat or drink while driving. Inexperienced drivers are more prone to lose control of a vehicle, and even minor distractions can cause crashes, if they take their eyes off the road.
“Not #TechnicallyIllegal But Should We Do It!”
3. Obey the Speed Limit
While it seems obvious, speeding is one of the most common contributors to teen crashes. An instructor will ensure your teen follows the speed limit
during driver training, but it’s up to you to enforce this rule outside of practice sessions; going over the posted speed is dangerous and can result in serious fines. Speed limits are set for a reason “SAFETY”. Even the Basic Speed Law informs us to drive what is safe for the existing conditions regardless of the posted speed limit.
Getting a license is one idea most young people start thinking about far in advance. But don’t let your teen’s excitement overshadow the importance of safety. Their friends’ bad habits of texting and speeding are easy to absorb; it’s up to you to prioritize caution and #defensivedriving.
Looking for reputable driver training for your teen? Key Driving School Inc is the leading driving instruction program in the surrounding Delta, Ohio area. Call (419) 822-3740 to schedule or visit their website https://keydrive.school for more information.