Teenage Driver Safety Tips

If your teen got their license – or their school permit – over the summer, they’re probably excited to drive to school this fall. However, after your child passes their driving test and gets their license, he probably thinks that he’s an experienced driver. (Which is not the case.) As you know, it takes a long time to be a driver that can anticipate all the hazards and unexpected situations that happen while driving.

Getting a license only means that teens have met the state-required practice hours and have passed the on-road test. They might have the basic understanding of how to drive a car on the road, but they still need to get much more driving experience before either of you will feel confident in their driving skills.

TIP: Be sure that you are familiar with Kentucky’s Graduated Driver’s License Program, which has rules for teenage drivers.

Here are some tips that can help keep your teenage driver safer on the road as they get more experience.

Limit The Number Of Passengers

As a parent, you should limit the number of passengers your teen can have in the car with them. More passengers in the car means more distractions for your teen driver. In fact, two or more peer passengers more than triples the risk of a fatal crash when a teen is behind the wheel.

When your teenager is driving a friend around, make sure they are aware that they are essentially responsible for that friend’s safety and that rules need to be set down. You and your child should sit down and determine rules that you both can agree upon. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Everyone must wear their seat belts
• No alcohol or drugs are allowed
• The music volume must be kept down
• No speeding

It’s also important for your child to understand that new drivers are NEW drivers. They shouldn’t accept rides from other teens who just got their driver’s license.

No Cell Phones And Texting While Driving

Talking or texting while driving is dangerous. And with social media’s popularity with teens, checking social media while driving is also a huge problem. When you pair these distractions with the inexperience and lack of driving skills that a teenager has, cell phones are extremely dangerous for teen drivers.

Talk with your kids about the dangers of using their phones while driving. And you should do your part as well. Avoid calling your teen while he or she is driving. It’s also a good idea to have them set their phone to “do not disturb” while they’re driving. Apple also created an option to avoid distracted drivers. When the phone detects driving, it sends and automatic message and does not alert the driver. You can visit the Apple Support page to learn how to set this up.

Limit Night Driving

Teens are much more likely to be in a serious driving accident at night. As you know, driving at night is very different than driving during the day. At night, your ability to see is much more limited. At night you have less time to see road signs, curves in the road, people crossing the street, cars turning in front of you, animals running in front of your car and other things. The dark can make it difficult to react.

You should spend time practicing with your teen driver at night before you let them drive alone on their own. That way you can coach your child on how to react and anticipate what’s next as they drive in the dark.

If teens are going to drive at night, it should be before 9:00 p.m. (The majority of fatal night teen crashes happen between 9:00 p.m. and midnight.) If your child is at a sporting event or some other social function and you know that they’re going to be tired and will be driving late, it might be a good idea for you to pick them up that evening – just to be safe.

There’s An App For That

There are apps on the market that can help you track your child when they’re out driving. For instance, Life360 is a popular app that allows you to keep track of your teenager when they’re out and about, but it also lets you see so much more!

With certain versions of the app, you can see exactly where your teen driver is at on a map, whether or not they’re using their phone, if they’re speeding, if they’re using their brakes excessively or if they’re driving aggressively.

You can even get directions to their location – just in case you need to go pick them up.

If you have the paid-for version, there is even an automatic crash detection that alerts the Emergency Contacts and sends an ambulance to their location. You can also get roadside assistance, just in case your teen has a flat tire, engine trouble or runs out of gas!

And if your teen is walking alone and ever feels unsafe, the app’s Help Alert sends their exact location to each emergency contact – instantly.

Teenagers need to get driving experience so that they can become better drivers. Using these strategies will help them become the mature drivers you want them to become!

At Neil Huffman Honda in Frankfort, we want you and your teen driver to be safe. We hope these tips help!

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