Being a parent of a new driver is really stressful, because you see all the time in the news, Facebook or from your kids about teenagers getting into accidents. When taking my son out driving I’ll share some of the advice I’ve given him over the past few months, and hopefully others will take my advice to help protect our kids.
Keep Your Cell Phone Away From You
The further away your cell phone, most likely you’re not going to pick it up. Cell phone usage is about as bad as drunk driving, in my opinion, because when you’re talking on your cell phone because your focus is on the phone, not the road.
No Texting
In Georgia, texting is illegal, but it hasn’t stopped people from doing because I see it pretty much every day and the worst part is that the adults do it just as much. During my research, the experts say that people can lose focus on the road around 5 seconds, which is a lot of time when you’re driving.
Keep Your Lights on Auto
If your vehicle has a function where the lights are on auto, always keep them on auto because I’ve seen during the past where drivers forget to turn the lights. Having the lights on in the early mornings and late evenings it will increase your visibility.
Eliminate Distractions
When you’re driving there’s all kinds of distractions like eating, playing with the radio, trying to impress the girls or your homeboys that’s riding with you. If your young driver has to adjust the volume on the radio or adjusts their music on the phone to sync to the radio make sure they do it before leaving or stop to do it.
Safe Driving Courses
My son will be taking one of these courses at the beginning of November, and they will teach the basics about driving. It also helps you out as the parent because most insurance companies will give you discounts for taking this course.
Teach Them About Being Cautious with Alcohol
Even if they’re still a teenager and you trust that they’re not going to drink, they still need to understand the major consequences about driving and alcohol. Well, just alcohol and vehciles in general. For example, even if they’re above age and can legally drink, they can still get in trouble for having open alcohol bottles and cans in their car due to open container laws.
Even if it’s just passengers that are drinking, or just old trash that was never discarded, well, even that can land your child to see a DUI attorney, and that’s just far from ideal, right?
Getting a Safe Car
Most teenagers want that flashy car that gets instant attention, but as a parent we usually want the car that has an excellent crash record and the latest safety equipment. Being a parent, you want our kids as safe as possible, so I would recommend a vehicle from Akins Dodge Jeep Chrysler. They have a great deal of new and used cars that comes with the safety features like anti-lock brakes and air bags we’re looking for in a car, while pleasing our teen because they look great.
