Top 5 Safety Tips for Parents of Teen Drivers

Parents can do so much to prepare their teenage drivers for the long road ahead. In fact, how parents conduct themselves behind the wheel can influence teen driver habits for many years to come. If you're reckless or careless behind the wheel, don't be surprised to see your teen driver follow suit. If you allow distractions in the car when you're driving, this can have a big impact on your teen driver's choices behind the wheel.

How can you make a difference as a parent of a teenager driver? What are some of things you can do today to prepare your teenager for the busy roads and highways ahead? Check out these Top 5 Safety Tips for Parents of Teen Drivers. Sure to send the right message to your teenagers as they take to the open road.

Safe Driving Tip 1. Don't drink and drive. In 2009, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that car crashes were the leading cause of death for teenagers and that one out of three of those accidents was alcohol related. As a parent, there's much you can do to stem the tide. Talk to your kids about the risks of drinking and driving. Don't drink and drive. Make sure you have a designated driver when you've consumed alcoholic beverages. The example you set today can save a life tomorrow.

Safe Driving Tip 2. Limit distractions. Turn the music down and the cell phone off. Keep your passengers quiet or on an even keel. Ask for silence when performing a difficult traffic maneuver. Go slowly in construction zones. By limiting distractions and modeling safe driving techniques, you give your teen driver the tools to do the same thing when he or she takes to the road.

Safe Driving Tip 3. Don't speed. Transportation experts agree that today's teens lack the maturity, experience and insight to judge unsafe situations that can arise during driving. Make sure you demonstrate to your teen safe driving habits. Call their attention to the speed limit and abide by the speed limit. By encouraging a safe speed, you can help prepare your teen driver for the kinds of adjustments he or she has to make behind the wheel to drive safe.

Safe Driving Tip 4. Drive defensively. It's not enough for teen drivers to learn how to drive. Rather, they need to be trained to become aware of what's happening around them on the road. Be teaching them to proceed with caution at intersections, you help your teen understand that having the right of way doesn't always mean that other drivers will abide by this. By driving defensively, you help your teen develop good habits that prevent accidents down the line.

Safe Driving Tip 5. Be calm behind the wheel. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that about 1,500 men, women, and children are injured or killed in the US each year as a result of aggressive driving. To fight back against these senseless tragedies, there are now many community programs to address this growing problem. But, parents can do much to educate their teen drivers about the importance of keeping calm behind the wheel. Parents can encourage good driving habits, like avoiding rush hour or busy highways, staying in one's lane, using the horn sparingly, keeping their emotions in check, and so forth. Indeed, parents can inspire their kids to be calm and courteous drivers behind the wheel by practicing and modeling these good habits themselves.

RESOURCES

Notes From the Road
10 Tips for the Parents of Teenage Drivers
By Mac Demere/autoMedia.com

Eight Danger Zones
Leading Causes of Teen Crashes
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Parents Magazine
www.parents.com

Kids Health/Parenting Page
http://kidshealth.org/parent