Teens: How to Tell Your Parents You Crashed the Family Car

Suppose, for a moment, that you have finished your homework and family chores and your parents have let you take the family car out for a while. Perhaps you will visit your friends, go to the mall or a movie, or simply take a drive.

Then the unthinkable happens, your first automobile accident. Hopefully, it's just a fender-bender. No matter whose fault the car collision is, you are relieved to discover that neither drivers nor passengers are injured. Possibly, you nicked a parked car, a light pole, a street sign, a tree, or another unmoving object.

As a teen and a fairly new driver, how can you possibly tell your parents that you crashed the family car? Here are ten tips for teens, to help you talk with your parents about your automobile accident in their car.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Remain calm.

Before you even climb out of the car to check out the damages, take a few deep breaths. Try to be as calm as you can. Switch on your emergency flasher lights. Scan your surroundings carefully, making sure you have pulled off the road in a safe spot, before you exit your own vehicle.

Try to call one or both of your parents right away from your car, if you have a cell phone. Let your parents know what has happened. Perhaps you will need a tow truck for the car, or even a ride home.

Of course, if anyone is hurt, if any car is on fire, if your vehicle is stuck in the middle of the roadway, or if another emergency exists, your first call should be 9-1-1.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Assure parents you are OK.

When you tell your parents about your automobile accident, be sure to tell them first that you are alright. If you are injured, let them know.

Let your parents know if you will need them to come to the accident scene, to an automotive repair shop, to a police station or to a hospital. Otherwise, tell them when they might expect you to arrive home and how you plan to get there.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Gather on-site information.

Be respectful, as you meet the driver and occupants of the other vehicle. Take careful notes of driver's license information, automobile license plates and damages to either or both vehicles. If you have a camera or a cell phone with photographic capabilities, be sure to snap a few photos of both cars. (Include photos of the license plates of both cars.) When you follow-up with your parents, you can relay this helpful information for a possible insurance claim.

Get a police report. Your insurance company will require this, no matter who is at fault for the auto accident.

By gathering all of the essential on-scene information after crashing the family car, you will be proving your maturity, responsibility and level-headedness to your parents.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Tell parents immediately.

Do not postpone talking to your parents about the automobile accident. A responsible driver takes responsibility, even after crashing the family car. Let your parents know as quickly as you can. Your promptness will go many miles towards preserving your parents' trust in you.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Get parents alone.

Accidents are always unplanned. You may not be able to control the circumstances by which you first tell your parents about the car crash.

However, you can certainly try to select the best moments for talking it over afterwards. Try to find times when your parents are not preoccupied with work. Look for times when friends and other family members are not around to participate in the conversation. This will help you to have your parents' undivided attention, and it will protect you from unwanted gossip or comments from others.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Apologize up front.

If you can confess what happened and apologize immediately to your parents after crashing the family car, you will probably find your parents will express more concern and caring and less outright anger.

Certainly, parents may be frustrated and upset about what happened, but loving mothers and fathers generally warm up to honest apologies. After all, your parents will surely be relieved that you are alright.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Tell the truth.

Covering up a car crash is never a good idea, particularly with parents. Ignoring an automobile accident is actually illegal. It's called hit-and-run. Owning up to the car crash is critical.

Trying to hide accidental dents, scratches and nicks on the family car almost always fails. Parents can be quite observant. When parents discover this sort of dishonesty, they will be unlikely to trust you again, with the car keys or other issues.

After crashing the family car, the best course is simply to come clean with the truth with parents.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Make no excuses.

Teens can be extremely creative, particularly at inventing alibis and excuses. This rarely succeeds with smart parents, especially when it comes to car accidents.

If the accident absolutely was not your fault, you can surely say so. For example, if you sat in a parked car, and another vehicle plowed into you, then you are in the clear. If you came out of the mall or movie theater and found a dent in the family car, you clearly were not at fault.

However, if you share any of the blame for crashing the family car, then excuses won't work.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Offer to help pay for damages.

Parents love to see their teens showing how responsible they can be. If you offer to help cover some, or all, of the damages to the family car, your parents will respect you for offering. Be prepared, however, for them to take you up on your offer. Some parents just may do so.

Tips for Talking to Parents About Crashing the Family Car: Accept the consequences.

If you have crashed the family car, you can certainly expect some consequences.

For one, you will probably not have access to wheels for a while. The car will likely be in the repair shop, so the entire family may be without a vehicle. If a rental car is available, it will probably not be available to you. (Most rental car companies do not allow anyone under age 21 to drive their vehicles anyway.)

Your parents may require additional penalties, such as grounding, financial remuneration, allowance withholdings or other restrictions. If you accept these consequences without creating a conflict, you will help to diffuse the situation. After all, you did crash the family car, whether it was your fault or not.

Basically, an automobile accident with the family car presents an unplanned opportunity for you to demonstrate your personal maturity and practice your direct, respectful communication with your parents.

How do I know how this works?

Please don't even ask what circumstances qualify me (as a former teen and a current parent) to offer these ten tips for telling your parents you crashed the family car. Trust me; you can be assured that our family has visited this situation more than once.