Learning to drive is a rite of passage that every teen looks forward to and every parent dreads.
As excited as a teenager is to get behind the wheel, they don’t yet have the experience or confidence to be considered a safe driver. That is why insurance rates are higher for teen drivers. It is also why the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day are referred to as the “100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers.”
As scary as that concept may be, it can also motivate parents to reduce risky driving behaviors in their teenage drivers.
The majority of teenagers will attend some form of driving school, but their parents will often step in and provide additional support, especially when it comes to practice. It is essential for parents to consider a new teen driver’s common fears and anxieties.
They can include the following:
- Highway merging
- Night driving visibility
- Driving with friends
- Unexpected emergencies
- Parking
These are the areas parents should focus on when practicing with teens to help boost their driving confidence and minimize the risk of being involved in a car accident. It will also help to target the following risky driving behaviors and develop an effective plan to prevent them from occurring.
Distracted Driving
There is nothing wrong with parents reinforcing the dangers of risky behaviors, especially distracted driving. According to the most recent data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,275 people will be killed in distracted driving accidents across the country in just one year.
Additional research reveals that one in three teenagers admits to texting while driving.
Would your teen admit to that? First, you have to reinforce that driving while holding a cellphone is against New Jersey law. If caught using a phone while driving, fines and possible license suspension may be imposed.
You need to remind your teen that shifting attention off the road ahead, even for a fraction of a second, can lead to a collision. You can adopt a driving rule that requires them to turn off their phone for the duration of their trip. It will also help if you avoid calling or texting when you know they’re driving.
The key takeaway is that parents need to reinforce this simple concept: “Hands on the wheel. Eyes on the road.”
Driving with Passengers
Another study from the NHTSA found that a teen driver was two and a half times more likely to engage in one or more risky behaviors when driving with a friend in the car compared to driving alone. Again, it is important to lean on the law. In New Jersey, a teen reaches the full privilege stage of driving when they turn 18. Before that, they are considered an intermediate stage.
At the intermediate stage, you are only allowed one passenger unless you are driving family.
The key takeaway here is that despite your teen driver’s desire to ride with their squad, they can only have one friend in the car at a time.
In some states, it may additionally be possible for teens to have what is referred to as a “Cinderella License” or “Hardship License”, which limits the times at which that teen can drive. Other states, like New Jersey, have a Graduated Driver’s License program which includes restrictions such as night driving restrictions for younger drivers with a probationary license. These restrictions may also include passenger restrictions.
Speeding
Speeding is one of the core traffic laws that teen drivers need to follow. The more you speed, the less control you have over the car. It is especially important to slow down when it rains or snows. When you practice with your teen, ensure they are following the speed limit. That also includes when you drive.
You might also want to hold off on buying your teen a new car right after they get their license.
A teen driver is more likely to drive within the speed limit in the family car versus their own vehicle.
Seat Belts
Your teen should be familiar with seat belt and shoulder harness use. This is another mandatory law, and one that you can also model as their parent. Not only should the driver buckle up, but also all their passengers. You can review the NHTSA Seat Belts overview to reinforce the point.
Drowsy Driving
You’ve probably noticed that it’s a lot harder to get your teen out of bed in the morning.
That’s understandable when you factor in all their studying, part-time jobs, and after-school activities. It might be okay for them to sleep in on the weekend, but it’s not okay to feel drowsy when driving.
Driving drowsy affects the following:
- Alertness
- Attention
- Reaction time
- Judgement
- Decision-making capabilities
As a parent, you can help reduce your teen’s risk of driving while drowsy by ensuring they get enough sleep at home. That means establishing a bedtime with no devices. Yes, your teen should have a “lights out, devices off” time.
How to Set the Standard with Your Teen Driver
It is essential to engage with your teen as they start driving. When they get home, review the trip with them by asking the following questions:
- Did you drive the speed limit?
- Were you wearing your seat belt?
- Did you stay off your phone?
- Who was in the car with you?
It is also important that you set consequences for risky driving. Those consequences can include losing driving privileges. You and your teen should work out the rules, put them in writing, and hold them accountable if they break the rules.
The bottom line: These rules take zero effort and could help save your teen’s life.
You also want to ensure your teen knows what to do if they get into an accident. As their parent, you’ll want to set up a consultation with Folkman Law to help understand your options for pursuing compensation if another driver caused your teen’s accident.
You don’t want your teen accused of bad driving just because they are a new driver.
Schedule your free consultation today to discuss what happened.
