If you are a parent of a teen driver, you know how hard it is to trust your child to drive on his own. But since you cannot drive him forever, eventually you will find yourself in this situation a bit sooner.
It is the end of the school year again and graduation is the sweetest time of a child’s life. There is a whole new life ahead of him but not for the too many whose dreams have been cut short by a car tragedy which could have been prevented in the first place. Driving requires common sense where every parent and child should know, and since your child will be getting his own wheels in the coming weeks, spend time to instill these tips into him.
Do not party on the car.
Many states are now monitoring closely the number of passengers that can be carried by a vehicle when a teenager drives the car. The “graduated driver’s license” law states that teen drivers are not allowed to carry passengers, unless there is an adult riding alongside. The reason is simple: when you group teens, they tend to be unruly. Being flamboyant is their nature and there is nothing wrong with it, unless they are traversing 35 to 60 miles an hour in a two-ton car. Loud voices and boisterous laughter can distract the driver making him less attentive to the road. Partying inside the car can also compromise the stability of the car making it harder to control.
If you are a teenager driver who likes to carry around rowdy friends, always remember that you are not only putting your life at risk but to all the passengers as well. Not to mention that at any point, you can be pulled over by a police officer and could risk all the privileges of not being able to drive forever. Other disruptive things like loud music, eating or even drinking can take away your concentration from the road.
Turn that cell phones off.
Using mobile phones is probably one of the most distractive things anyone would do while driving. Most states have enacted laws that limit or prohibit the use of cellular phones when the vehicle is running. Occasionally, we do get extremely important calls that we need to take regardless of where we are. If you are driving, bring the car into a safe location and into a full stop and then answer the call. Doing this will reduce the chances of any accidents, which not only protect yourself and your passengers but to the other drivers as well.
Avoid alcohol when driving.
Each year, thousands of alcohol-related high-speed accidents happen all over America. This is a serious offense for adult drivers and worst for teenage drivers. This means that if you are caught bringing alcohol within your car and even if you are not legally intoxicated could still end up facing serious fines, DUI charges and the possibility of license revocation. However, you can get it back only after reaching age of majority.
