Tips to Help Keep Your Teen Driver Safe on the Road

One of the most nerve racking experiences for a parent of a teen is to deal with, is your teen driving a vehicle. I know this feeling well from experience and there were many times that I did not think that I was going to make it through those teen driving years. I was constantly worried that my daughter was going to get into a car accident and the uncertainty that my teen driver would make it home safe just about did me in.

I was constantly giving my daughter driving tips on how to stay safe on the road and although I know that I annoyed her more often than she cares to remember, I wanted to make sure that she was driving as safely as she could and that she would come home in one piece, safe and sound. My daughter learned good safe driving tips from driving school, from myself and also from a safe driving for teens DVD that the insurance company had sent for her to watch.

There are safe teen driving tips that you can give your child, it is imperative to give the driving tips even if they resist or complain, give your teen safe driving tips every chance you can, it may save their life someday.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #1: Wear the Seatbelt

Always, always wear the seat belt even if it is driving to a friend's house right down the street, many car accidents happen within a couple miles of home. Also, make sure passengers are kept as safe as possible and have them wear their seat belts too.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #2: Do Not Speed

Speeding is one of the biggest causes of car accidents, it is better to be late than to speed and be seriously hurt or killed.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #3: No Drinking or Drugs

Do not attempt to drink or take drugs and then drive. Drinking and drugs are huge temptations in a teen's life, driving while intoxication is asking for disaster to happen.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #4: No Texting or Talking on the Cell Phone

Texting and talking on the cell phones are incredible distractions, in fact texting and cell phone talking are compared to being impaired while driving. Texting and talking on cell phones have caused many deaths and teen drivers are one of the biggest users of text messaging and cell phones.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #5: Get Directions

If driving in unknown areas, make sure to have directions printed out ahead of time and some knowledge of the roads that will be taken. The best bet is to use a GPS as printed directions can cause a distraction.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #6: Check Cross Traffic Before Going Through a Green Light

When going through a green light, always look both ways at cross traffic to make the car at the red lights have stopped completely.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #7: Adjust the Mirrors

Make sure to always adjust the side mirrors and the rear-view mirror before proceeding to drive. Mirror adjustments while driving take the eyes off the road and in a split second an accident can occur.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #8: Keep the Gas Tank Full

It is so important not to let the gas tank run down too low especially when living in colder climates. Running out of gas in a snow storm could lead to a very dangerous situation.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #9: Keep Supplies in the Car

It is important to keep supplies in the trunk such as: blanket, flashlight, water bottles and a first aid kit. Supplies are especially important if inclement weather were to come along and the car became stranded.

Safe Teen Driving Tip #10: Keep the Windows Clean

Make sure to not only wipe the outside of the windows but also the inside, keeping the windows clean and clear makes it easier on the eyes and also helps the driver to get a better view of the outside world.

Sources:

Self-experiences