For teen drivers, the summer months can be an exhilarating time. Not only do they have time away from the often-stressful school environment, but they have freedom to simply get in the car and drive. Whether it is helping out with household errands, visiting friends across town, driving to summer jobs or taking road trips, summer months often mean crowded roads.
Parents worry about their teen children under the best of circumstances. When it is a teen driver during the summer months, however, they often experience an additional layer of concern. Fortunately, numerous safety agencies have provided tips and guidelines that parents can remember as they prepare their teen drivers for the road, including:
- Help them practice: Many individuals benefit from learning at their own pace, but safe driving habits should be trained, reinforced and encouraged. Parents should take every opportunity to ride with their teen drivers so they can help correct errors and put them on the path toward safe motoring. Often, this can mean going with them to a new location to help identify road hazards and challenging situations.
- Encourage safe driving behaviors: This can mean anything from avoiding distractions to limiting the number of passengers in a vehicle. No matter the experience level, driving distractions can lead to severe collisions.
- Embrace reality: While driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol carries significant criminal penalties, these activities might still happen with teen drivers. Parents should have an honest conversation with their teen drivers encouraging them to seek alternative methods of travel if perception-altering substances are involved.
There are numerous cliches tied to teen drivers. From engaging in reckless behaviors because they do not understand their limitations to struggling with the temptation of multitasking while behind the wheel, it is important for parents to enter the summer on safe footing. Serious motor vehicle collisions can result in catastrophic injuries.