Many teens who are exposed to alcohol find the temptation too alluring to resist. Those who experiment with alcohol are automatically taking a risk when they drink and get behind the wheel. Make sure to encourage your teen not to drink. However, if they do drink, make sure they have some options:
- If they drink, let them know they can call you for a ride no matter what.
- Provide stringent consequences such as loss of driving privileges if they drink and drive.
- Seek professional help if your teen is drinking on a regular basis and permanently suspend driving privileges until they are sober.
Teen Driver Education
Driving a vehicle may seem more like fun than a responsibility to a teen who is just completing driver’s education and receiving the segment 1 permit. Driving is not a game, however, and every teen should take each driving experience seriously.
- Explain to your teen the responsibilities of being a driver.
- Ride with your teen every time when they only have a permit.
- Demonstrate proper driving techniques for your teen.
Observe Teen Driving Behavior
Does your teen have to turn on the radio to drive or want to talk on their cell phone while they are driving? Teen behavior greatly influences how they drive. Make sure you communicate some basic understandings to your teen. These include:
- Drive with attention focused on the road, not the radio or cell phone.
- Encourage your teen to avoid doing anything that distracts them from driving. This includes eating and drinking.
- Limit the number of teens who are riding together. Socializing while driving can cause accidents.
- Place limits on driving after dark. Until your teen is 18, require them to have the vehicle back home at a reasonable hour such as 10.
Teen Road Awareness
There are certain driving rules that must be followed on the road. One of the best way to ensure that the rules are mutually understood is to put the rules in writing. Clarification of the rules, expectations and consequences for breaking the rules leaves virtually no margin for misunderstanding. Rules such as:
- Never drink and drive.
- Always fasten your seat belt.
- Obey all road signs and signals.
- Never drive sleepy.
There are many different reasons that teen accidents happen but your teen doesn’t have to be one who is involved in a teen accident if they practice safe driving by adhering to the rules and avoiding certain teen behaviors that are both risky and unsafe. Some of the basic safety precautions that we take as adults are applicable to teens as well. It is important to communicate the necessity for taking these precautions so that they can drive safely on the road and avoid accidents no matter where they are going.
