As a parent, it’s natural to be nervous about your teenager getting their license. You want to protect them, but it’s likely that they will want to enjoy their new-found freedom. Get your teen ready for the road with these safety tips.
Tips for Safe Teen Drivers
- Turn off your cell phone. As tempting as it is, your teen should always turn off or silence their cellphone when they’re in the car, and leave it out of reach. It can be difficult to enforce, but distracted driving is a serious concern. Work with your teen to help them understand the consequences of distracted driving.
- Don’t text. If your teen’s cellphone is off, then they shouldn’t be texting. But in case they were too tempted to read that message, remind them that the average text can cause you to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds. This is enough time to cover the length of an entire football field. Even texting while stopped can cause them to miss key developments that are occurring.
- Turn on your headlights. Headlights can help make you more visible to oncoming traffic, even during the daytime. In the early morning or early dusk, it’s even more important to make sure your teen turns their lights on.
- Obey the speed limit. Many teens struggle with a lead foot. It can be hard for teens to tell how fast they are traveling without the experience that years of driving brings. Speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal accidents. Discuss the consequences of speeding with your teen before letting them on the road.
- Minimize Your Distractions. Eating, drinking, changing the radio, and using a GPS can all take your teen’s attention off the road, which makes it hard for them to react to sudden issues.
- Teach Defensive Driving. Defensive driving prepares your teen to react to serious threats by raising their awareness of what is happening on the road. These methods teach them to expect anything and be ready to react.
At Williams DeClark Tuschman Co., L.P.A, we know that it’s important for your teen driver to stay safe. If your teen driver has been injured, don’t wait to call our Toledo car accident attorneys today. With more than a century of collective experience, we are ready to help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Contact our team by calling (419) 719-5195 to request your free consultation.