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Driver's education courses are essential for helping teens earn their license. Parents also play an important role in helping teens stay safe on public roads. Teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are at the highest risk of having car accidents compared to any other age group. While multiple factors increase this risk, parents have many ways to coach their new driver through their first years of gaining more experience on the road.
Conduct Pre-Drive Checks
Teens tend to be so excited to drive that they hop right into the vehicle and start going. Showing your teen how to do a quick check of the tires and other essential features can help them avoid being at fault for an accident. You’ll also want to make sure your teen knows to familiarize themselves with any new vehicle’s features, since they can vary significantly.
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Plan Structured Practices
Most driver's courses require more hours of driving practice than students receive in their classes. You’ll want to start by taking your child through easy routes at first. For instance, you might drive through residential neighborhoods where the traffic is slower before moving onto the busier roads in your area.
Once your teen gains confidence, then you’ll want to practice driving on the freeway. Making sure your teen drives at night and in the rain is also important for their skill development.
Use Questions More Than Commands
As a parent of a teen driver, one of your concerns may be having things get heated. Using questions as your teen drives is less aggravating to new drivers compared to commands. For instance, you might ask them if they feel like they are driving at a safe distance rather than telling them to back off from the car in front of you.
Asking questions also helps your teen develop critical thinking skills regarding driving. For example, you might ask why they might need to start slowing down when you notice lots of brake lights in the traffic up ahead.
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Implement Clear Safety Rules
A recent study revealed that teens are spending around 21.1% of their driving trips on their phone, and they’re usually using it for entertainment. Prioritizing distraction-free driving is essential for your child’s safety. Help your child understand that activities behind the wheel can be in the form of visual, manual and cognitive distractions. Something as simple as eating while driving, can provide all three types of distraction placing the driver and others in danger. You’ll also want to make rules regarding how many friends can be in the vehicle at once and, potentially, the distance they can drive independently. Creating a clear list of rules and having your teen sign a driving contract can ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Provide Feedback and Encourage Questions
Ending drives with a quick review of your teen’s experience helps to reinforce the lessons they learned. While your teen is focused on driving, they might not have enough time to ask questions or respond to yours. Plus, it’s best to give your teen critical feedback when they aren’t in the driver’s seat in case it generates a strong emotional reaction.
Try to wrap any criticism in positive statements. For instance, you might say that they made a good choice to slow down when they approached a hazard, but that they might’ve needed to do so sooner. Asking your teen what they thought they did well and could improve on also helps put them in the driver’s seat for feedback sessions.
While you can’t protect your child from everything once they begin driving independently, you can help them to prepare for the inevitable. Continuing to model proper driving skills and monitor your teen’s progress helps them sharpen their abilities while they are still in your care. If your teen does experience an accident, remember to walk them through the process of seeking legal assistance and managing their responsibilities as they recover.
