3 Keys If Your Teenager is Going to Start Driving

Do you have any inkling or know for sure if your teenager is going to start driving soon?

This can be both an exciting time as a parent and a nerve-wracking one.

That being the case, what steps will you take to make sure your teen is as safe as possible when they get out there?

Are You Getting a Vehicle for Your Teen?

When the time comes for your teen to drive, you always want safety to be the overriding factor in play.

So, what will you focus on when your son or daughter is getting behind the wheel?

1. Safety – You can always replace a vehicle that has been in an accident but not the person. With this in mind, make sure the car or truck they operate is as safe as can be. This takes on added importance if you will be buying them a new or used vehicle to drive. If it will be a used car or truck, safety is even more critical. Because you do not know the history of a used vehicle, you need to do your research. One way to go about this is with a free license plate search online. Such a search allows you to dig deeper into the history of a vehicle you may end up buying for your teen. Remember, you could be buying a great used vehicle or one that has trouble written all over it and yet you can’t see that. This is why doing your homework matters to your teen’s safety.
2. Focus – You know better than anyone how teenagers can lose focus. That said you want your kid focused squarely on their needs behind the wheel. Even losing focus for a second or two can lead to trouble. So, be sure your kid gets it when you tell him or her about focusing on driving. This means no distractions such as cell phones, messing around with friends in the car and more. There will be plenty of time for calls or texts, having fun with friends when not behind the wheel. As part of that focus, drill into your child’s head the importance of not drinking alcohol behind the wheel. Too many parents have lost loved ones who’ve thought one or a few drinks would not matter all that much.
3. Responsibility – Not only does your teen need to be focus and be as safe as possible, they need to be responsible. As an example, taking care of the vehicle is not something you should assume they are not capable of. While your teen is not earning a full-time living, there’s a good chance he or she has a part-time job. As such, they should be contributing to the upkeep of the vehicle. This includes paying for gas and other reasonable requests you will have of them. Not only does this help you out, it gets your teen more responsible as they grow up.

When you allow your teen to start driving, make sure you are all on the same page driving forward.