Keep your teen safe while out on the open road.
When your teen is first learning how to drive, it’s natural to be concerned about their safety. Fortunately, there are many things you can teach them early on that will ensure they are practicing safe driving behaviors. Here are some of the safety suggestions you should pass on to your teen when they are first learning how to drive.
Be Defensive, Not Aggressive
First things first, teach your teen to drive defensively. For instance, they should always obey the speed limit, leave plenty of space between their car and the car in front of them, and scan their entire vicinity frequently. Teaching your teen responsible driving habits will ensure that they don’t become a reckless driver who speeds, tailgates, and weaves in and out of traffic without regard for their safety or the safety of others.
Keep Your Phone Out of Sight
Before settling behind the wheel, teach your child to set their phone to silent and store it somewhere out of their immediate sight. This will prevent them from getting distracted by an incoming text, call, or another type of notification. This will ensure that their focus remains on the road and, therefore, reduces the chances of them getting into a distracted driving accident.
No Distracting Passengers
While your teen is probably eager to drive around all their best friends, it’s important that you put your foot down on this subject. Because teens are inexperienced, they need to focus all of their attention on the task of driving. However, when they have friends in the car, they are more likely to get distracted by the conversation or the fun antics of their passengers. This, in turn, can make your teen more likely to make unsafe driving decisions or completely take their eyes off the road. Not only does this pose a danger to your child, but it also puts their friends and anyone else on the road at risk. To prevent a major accident, be strict about the no passenger rule for your teen.
These are some of the safe driving practices you should encourage in your teen driver. Want another way to keep your teen safe behind the wheel? Make sure you have the right auto insurance protections in place. For assistance with all your car coverage needs, contact the experts at Pierce Insurance Group today.