Ten Tips For
Keeping Your Teen Driver Safe
In wrapping our Teen Driver Safety
Series, we want to take a look back at where we've been and relate it to our
central theme: keeping our children alive. After all, none of this matters if
we fail in our primary duty as parents and guardians.
The future of any society rests in its children. Clearly, without new citizens,
a culture stagnates. Therefore, protecting youth from its own
foibles and foolhardiness falls to the older, more responsible members of the
community. This is no more true than in the
area of automobiles, where thousands of young people die every year on American
highways.
So what can we do to make our teen drivers safer? What actions might we
undertake to safeguard them from a crucial, even fatal, driving error?
In this, our final installment in our Teen Driver Safety Series, let's recap
the highlights of our previous four articles, plus add some new thoughts. To
make this easier to follow for the reader, we've arranged it into a top 10
list.
- Pay for Extra Driver
Training If you can afford it, consider
investing in additional behind-the-wheel driver education for your teen.
We specifically recommend an "active" setting (where your child
actually gets behind the wheel and drives) versus a classroom
setting, since the latter is mainly book learning, while the former
teaches your child the real-world driving dynamics of an automobile. There
are a number of driving schools and we recommend Drive Quest because of
their ability to teach the hardest cases in Southern
California.
- Have Your Child
Drive You Crazy Well,
not literally. What we mean here is, once your child receives her
learner's permit, have her drive everywhere possible -- to the store,
school, the bowling alley, wherever -- with you in the passenger seat, of
course. It's crucial that your child gets as much "wheel" time
as possible before going off on her own. Remember, nothing gives a better
understanding of the dynamics of a motor vehicle than repeated exposure to
the actual driving experience.
- Talk to Your Child as
You Drive Continuing the theme above, communicate with
your child as you travel together. Turn off the radio and talk to him
about safety hazards you encounter along the way. Remember this one point:
By the time your teen reaches driving age, you've most likely been driving
him around for 15-plus years; you have much to impart. Remember, too, that
body language and hand signals can be as effective as spoken directions.
For instance, if you see a car nosing out of a driveway, a simple gesture
in that direction can alert your teen driver to the potential danger.
Also, remind yourself of the safety hazards you notice in your own
driving, and communicate these to your child as
you travel. Some common themes: watching downhill speed, spotting trouble
ahead, braking sooner rather than later. Remind your child that defensive
driving is all about anticipation.
- Don't Rant, Yell, Scream or Shout -- Until You Get Home As
much as you may want to, it's best not to overreact while on the road with
your teen driver. Wait until you get home. Then you can yell all
you want. Seriously, there's a safety reason for this. Studies have shown
that an emotionally charged conversation compromises driving performance,
reducing attention span and increasing distraction. If your child does
something wrong on the road, make a mental note to discuss it when you get
home, or, if you find the infraction serious enough, have her pull over
and take over the driving for her. Whatever you do, do not yell or
rant at your child while she drives. This could be dangerous for both of
you.
- Review Your Driving
Session Along these same lines; consider a brief review of the
day's driving once you return home. As gently and calmly as possible,
discuss potential problems and solutions, dangers you encountered on the
road and things to pay attention to in future trips.
Once your child receives his license, the landscape changes a
little. However, your job is far from over. Now, you kick into
surveillance mode. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open. What you see and
hear -- and how you respond to it -- could save your child's life.
- Meet Your Child's
Traveling Companions The social aspects of teen driving cannot be
underestimated. The sudden freedom of mobility acts like an elixir to some
teens. Be sure to monitor your child's comings and goings, doing the best
you can to keep track of his companions. A number of factors influence
teen driver safety. Besides the usual culprits of drugs and alcohol, other
issues, such as speeding, bravado and failure to wear seatbelts, account
for thousands of lost teen lives every year. Equally significantly, a
recent study found that a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers
was three times as likely to die in a fatal wreck than one driving alone.
- Remind Your Teen
Driver About the Risks Be the most annoying parent
you can be. Remind your child frequently of the inherent dangers of
operating a motor vehicle with anything less than 100 percent
concentration. Insist that she not operate a car while drunk or high --
and, equally important, that she not ride with a driver similarly
intoxicated. If necessary, make yourself available for emergency pick-ups.
- Choose a Safe Car The
type of car your teen driver operates can be a matter of life and death.
Choose one in good working condition, with solid crash test scores and a
strong record for reliability. If shopping for a used car, closely inspect
tires and brakes, belts and hoses, and other systems that can influence
the safety or dependability of the vehicle.
- Ride Periodically with
Your Teen Continue to ride with your teen driver from time
to time, reviewing safety tips and monitoring his driving skills. Bad
habits can crop up at any time, but are especially prevalent in the
beginning years of driving. Best to nip them in the bud. Frequent, ongoing
drive-alongs are the best way to keep tabs on a teen driver's progress.
Remember that the first few years are absolutely crucial in establishing
solid driving habits, which can then lead to a lifetime of safe driving.
- Have Your Child Share
Insurance and Other Costs Since driving is a privilege
and not a right; consider having your child share in the cost of operating
the vehicle. This will not only teach her responsibility, but will also
give her a dawning realization that nothing is free. It might also
translate into better driving skills.
Well, there you have it -- our top
10 safety tips for teen drivers. We trust you'll utilize them in keeping your
child safe on the road.
Whatever your decisions in this area, realize that direct involvement with your
child is the best way to insure against accidents and fatalities. Taking an
active role can truly make a difference.
*
As we said at the outset, we find no more pressing problem
relating to cars than the loss of thousands of young drivers' lives every year.
It remains a plaguing social issue. Therefore, if we've saved even one young
life with this series, it's been worth it.
By the way, in researching this story, we discovered an informative Web site
called mydrivequest.com. Filled
with safety tips for drivers young and old, it's a valuable resource. We highly
recommend it.
Please be careful out there. Drive safely and keep your seatbelt buckled.