I live in a quiet subdivision in a sleepy little town. Taking a walk around our neighborhood or letting the children play in the yard is a low risk activity, or so I thought. While working in my flower beds I began to notice traffic patterns on our street. People were often speeding, sometimes squealing their tires as they sped down the road. Other drivers looked at their phones, not at the road. I thought I was alone in my concerns until I began to talk to my neighbors. We all noticed the same traffic patterns and unsafe drivers…and a lot of these drivers were teens. Unfortunately, situations like this are becoming more common across the country.
According to the National Safety Council, texting while driving causes 1,600,000 accidents per year. But distracted driving comes in other forms too: applying makeup while driving; driving under the influence; using apps like Snapchat; talking to friends and more. Teens are especially susceptible to distracted driving behavior and Mercury Insurance wants to change that with their Drive Safe Challenge. Here are some of their top tips to keep teens safe.
Tips to Keep Teens Safe While Driving
1. Practice, Practice, Practice. Remember learning to drive? The excitement of being in the car was exhilarating. I wanted to hit the open road. Unfortunately for me, the open road was the empty school parking lot where I spent hours with one of my parents practicing. I knew how to drive around a parking lot, but the problem was I didn’t know much about driving on the road. The solution? Take your child with you on short errands and let them get behind the wheel. Whether it’s going to the store or to the park, let your teen do the driving.
2. Talk. When you get into the car, turn off other distractions. Don’t look at the phone and turn off the radio. The plan is to talk to your child about road hazards, road signs and any other driving related item they make need to know while they drive. You’ll probably receive eye rolls, but they’ll remember your advice in the future.
3. Choose their car carefully. Speeding is the leading cause of car crashes in teenagers. Selecting a less sporty vehicle with a four-cylinder engine and average horsepower could help save a life. Let’s face it – how many of us sped when we were learning to drive? If I could do it in the pokey little car my parents chose for me, imagine what I could have done in the sports car of my dreams.
4. Explain distractions. The average time it takes to read a text message is 4.6 seconds. That’s almost five seconds your eyes are off the road! Digging through a hamburger bag to find the food, searching for a favorite song, or surfing the web, even for a few seconds, is enough time to cause an accident. We’ve all been distracted while driving, but are a few seconds for any of these things worth a life?
5. Contract it out. Go over safe driving rules with your teen carefully. Explain to them what you expect when they drive and the consequences if they break the rules. Mercury Insurance provides one you can use here.
Want to know more about how to keep your teen safe while driving? Check out the Mercury Insurance Drive Safe Challenge. They cover everything from driving tips to car-buying tips to resources for parents and teens.
What is your best safety tip for new drivers?
Kids always want the car that goes fast. Its so important to let them know how many dangers driving comes with.
My oldest is going to be 14 in just a few months. It still seems like forever until he starts driving, but I know it’s not. I’m sure it’s best to start getting prepared now, so we both feel safe. These are great tips!
The tip about just talking to them is so important. Teens are just humans and just being honest with them is all they need.
These are definitely some great tips for helping new drivers to drive safely. We have a few coming up in our home!
All you can do is shoot straight with them. It’s up to them to listen!
Seriously invaluable advice. Worrying about our kids finally driving can be burdensome.
I think teaching kids to drive in my age was so much easier. We did not have all the distractions kids have today. I am sure our parents were just as nervous though.
These are all great reminders to be more responsible behind the wheel. I constantly remind my children to keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel.
Just in time I needed these tips! My aunt wants me to drive so whenever I go out there’s no need to call out to our driver.
I like your idea of doing good ol’ fashioned hard work, i.e. practice, to keep teens safe while driving.
Using a driver’s school is a good idea, as well as just kicking your butt out there to work with your kid.
These safe driving tips are on point…for EVERYONE, not just teens. I really think that keeping a cell phone in the back seat would be a really great idea, too.
Awesome tips! I need to share these with my teen. Thanks for sharing!
These are great tips. It seems like there are so many more distractions these days than there was when I started driving.
This is another scary moment for parents to go through – a teen learning to drive. We have always reminded our children about the dangers of distracted driving. Of course, for it to be more effective, we set the example. When we are all in the car, we do not take calls, or text or browse, evern when stuck in traffic or waiting on a red light.
This is a great educational post. I think its really important to talk to kids about driving and distractions especially with phones because one wrong distraction can be potentially fatal or harmful.
These are amazing tips. I only started driving when I turned 20 and we practiced a ton!
These are great tips. Our daughter is about to turn 18, and it’s true when parents say that you never stop worrying, because we sure don’t.
My daughter is such a nervous driver, she’s 18 and still hasn’t gotten her license! These are all great tips for her to follow if or when she does finally take the driver’s test!
I remember teaching my oldest to drive. Kids learning to drive should not have friends in the car while learning and practicing, it’s a law here but I’m not sure if it is anywhere else.
Teens can be very susceptible to accidents. I’m happy I read your safety tips. Tip no. 4 is very important.
This may be one of the most timely posts I have ever read! I have a teen driver in my home right now. She is so timid about driving, she is afraid to get behind the wheel. I think these tips are spot on for keeping them safe while they are on the road.
My daughter is only 2 so we’ve got a ways to go for this. I am so not ready to deal with teen years but these are great tips!
When my eldest first drove I made sure to teach her everything she needs to avoid to be safe. But a constant reminder will turn that into habits that she’s going to take with her for the rest of her life. These are awesome tips!
My kids are still young but these are important tips to keep in mind for when they are older. It’s so important to take defensive driving courses.
Having a license is a huge responsibility – and I loved every second of it. Drivers Education is a great option, it makes everything a lot easier.
Getting your license as a teen is a really exciting team. But it is SO important to talk about safety and keeping aware of your surroundings while behind the wheel.
It seems so far away but I know my little ones will be big soon and driving. I need to start talking about safety now so they have it ingrained in them.
These are great tips. We had a rule that our son couldn’t have more than one friend in the car. Figure less people equals less of a distraction.
My sons are responsible drivers. I was filled with worry when they first started to drive! I constantly remind them to turn off their phones or keep them in the glove compartment when driving. A phone call can wait, a message can wait. Avoid distracted driving and practice courtesy on the road are things I taught them early on.
I’ll keep these in mind. My son is 15 and he might be driving soon. He has autism, so he might delay it a few years, but eventually he hopes to drive.
These seem like some great tips. I am so not ready for this in a few years.
These are great tips. I won’t have a teen driver for a couple more years, but I’m already thinking about it!
The thought of my children driving really makes me nervous! I know it will happen eventually, so it’s extra important to make sure they are as confident and prepared as possible.
Thanks for this. I am not looking forward to teaching my 14 year old how to drive in this age of the cell phone
My son will be getting his learners permit in just THREE years!! It’s a worry for sure. I hope I can educate him enough by then!
These are some great tips I didn’t start learning to drive until I was in my mid twenties and even then it was nerve racking at times.
Oh definitely! My mom actually never learned to drive. She just couldn’t handle it.
It can really be so scary! I always say to the other half if there was no one else on the road I’d be fine! Some people can be crazy behind the wheel.
My son drives me nuts. He was definitely a much safer driver when he was 16 than now when he is 19! I think good advice is to tell them to not get complacent!! I remind him of this all of the time.
These tips are all on point! I love that idea of a contract. My oldest is actually a very safe driver, but teacher her was a nightmare. She never seemed focused enough. LOL
These are all excellent tips. My kids aren’t old enough to drive yet, but I’m already explaining why the CANNOT be distracted when they drive and how important it is to take it seriously.