Tips for Parents With New Teen Drivers
Getting a driver’s license is an exciting time for young adults, and they often want to celebrate their new found freedom by jumping in the car and heading off into the sunset. While parents should be proud of this accomplishment, they are often still worried about their teens driving on their own. Parents have good reason to be concerned, given that car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens and especially for drivers around the age of 16. Parents often struggle with encouraging their teens to be responsible while still being supportive – here are some tips to help do just that!
Trust Your Teen
Parents play a large role in teaching their kids how to drive, so it is important for parents to trust that they instilled the right driving behaviors and maturity in their young drivers. Driving takes control and self-confidence, and if parents showed these traits and good behaviors in their own driving around their teens, it is much more likely for them to follow the same path. Parents should also make sure to tell their teens that they trust them as a way to boost confidence and have them striving to make their parents proud.
Go for a Ride
A great way to check up on young drivers’ habits and how they are doing is to ride along with them. While teens would much more likely enjoy driving around with their friends, there is nothing wrong with them driving mom or dad to the grocery store, doctor’s appointments, or any other errand that needs to be run. This is a great way for parents to see firsthand how their teens are driving and suggest adjustments while also spending quality time with them.
Let Teens Drive More
States usually only require teens to have about 50 hours of behind-the-wheel time to get their license, but this is not nearly enough for them to become safe, comfortable, and reliable drivers. Practice makes perfect, so give teens as many opportunities as possible to drive and get the experience they need. Let them drive to sports practices, the grocery store, school, and just jet around town to run errands. This extra time behind the wheel with a parent will only make your teen’s driving that much better.
Does your new teen driver need Behind the Wheel Training? Training Wheels is a Longport driving school specializing in teaching new teen drivers how to stay safe on the road. For more information on our lessons, please click here.
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