The Teen Years: The Unique Stress That Is Teaching Them to Drive.
Every parent has to deal with a teenage driver sooner or later. Many of them dread the arrival of this time because it is so very stressful. Parents worry about their children on a day to day basis, but driving opens up even more possible accidents and hazards.
This is why it is important that parents do everything they can to teach their children to be safe behind the wheel and try to have faith in the fact that they did their job well.
When it comes to teens and driving, there are many different topics that you will want to cover with them, from following basic safety laws to avoiding drugs and drinking when they are driving.
Teach Your Children Well
When it comes to teaching your teenager to drive you do not want to let them drive your vehicle until they’ve taken driver’s training and gotten at least their permit. It is illegal for them to drive without a license or permit and if caught they could be forced to wait longer to get their license.
Make sure that you teach them about your local laws. They will learn about these in their driving class, but you, as a parent, want to make sure they know the laws and understand the importance of them.
You also want to make sure they know the proper way to take care of a car. They can’t just get the car and drive it and never have any maintenance done on it. Vehicles can run for a long time, but only if they get regular oil changes and tune ups.
To Buy Them A Car, or Not
Many parents are happy to buy their children their first car. However, some believe that teaching their child to save up and buy their own first vehicle will teach them better to respect and care for that car or truck.
Whether or not this is true, it really is up to each individual parent on whether or not they purchase a vehicle for their teen. It seems no matter how you do it if you teach your child how to care for their vehicle they will be more likely to keep it running well and not have it broken down in as little as a year.
Discussing Accidents, Tickets
Discussing the laws of driving with your children also includes discussing things like accidents and getting tickets. They need to understand that speeding gets you tickets, and that they will have to pay for those tickets themselves if they don’t follow speed laws.
Make sure that your child knows not to be a distracted driver. Look up statistics on accidents caused by texting and share with them the real life scenarios and repercussions of such behaviors.
If your child knows that their tickets will have to be paid out of their own money they may be more likely to follow the laws, which can help you stress a little less every time they hit the road. Make sure they also know that things like drinking and driving can cause them to lose their license and spend time in jail.
The Importance Of Car Insurance
Even if it isn’t a law in your state or country, teens should know the importance of having their vehicle insured. Insurance can help replace a totaled vehicle, and it can save your teen from having to pay a lot of money out of pocket if they do have a fender bender.
While there are many insurance companies out there that offer great prices, you want to teach your child how to look for the best coverage and help them find an agent that specializes in teen drivers. Check out a site like acceptanceinsurance.com, which offers free quotes so that you can compare policies.
You also want to make sure that they understand that letting their insurance lapse can also mean they’ll have to pay more for it in the future, and that accidents, no matter how minor, can also raise their insurance rates.
It doesn’t matter how you look at it, having a teen driver in your household is going to be stressful. However, if you take some time to make sure they are knowledgeable and being safe, you can at least rest assured that you’ve done your job as a parent.
