Top Rules to Keep Your Teen Driver Safe
After you deal with the shock that your little bundle of joy is now a gangly teenager with car keys and an irrepressible drive to get behind the wheel and drive, it’s time to think seriously about safety. Teen drivers need clear, firm, and unmovable boundaries to keep them safe out on the road. For your teen, driving is all about impedance. For you, it needs to be all about safety. Before you hand your teen the keys and send them on their way, consider discussing guidelines about the following at length with them:
The Basics
Your teen needs to know you expect them to be a law-abiding driver. Do not ignore the basics; what might seem second nature to you will no doubt be easily disregarded by your risk-taking, impulsive teenager. Always wear a seat belt. Never drive after drinking or using drugs. Obey the speed limit, use signals, and don’t pick up strangers. State these expectations out loud to your child, so they hear them directly from you.
Cell Phone Use
Cell phones and driving are a toxic combination for every driver, but especially with inexperienced teens. Texting, talking, searching for music playlists, and other phone-related activities are distracting. As a result, most states have made cell phone use while driving illegal. Hands-free technologies available in new and used BMWs for sale in Houston can reduce distractions, but for teens, even this might not be sufficient to keep them safe on the road. (Some states ban teens from using cell phones and hands-free tech for the first six months of driving.) If you don’t want any phone usage in the car, you can find a number of useful apps that will disable texting and other features while the vehicle is in motion.
Passengers
Passengers are distracting; parents can certainly attest to this truth. Teenage passengers are triply distracting; loud music, constant chatter, unhelpful navigation help, and general obnoxiousness can be difficult for young, inexperienced drivers to manage. Consider setting limits on how many passengers your child can have in the car and making those limits tighter for late-night driving.
Curfews
Late-night driving and teens is another toxic combination. Many states have curfews in place for 16 and 17-year-old drivers, so be sure to know the law. And remember, nothing good happens to teens after midnight, so consider setting a firm limit for when your drivers need to park their cars and walk away each day.
Make it Clear. Put it in Writing. Follow Through.
Much of what you say to your teens go in one ear and out the other. They say they understand, but they’re not really processing and absorbing the information or genuinely committing to abide by it. To counteract this, you need to make your house driving rules crystal clear. Put them in writing and have your child read and sign the agreement. The CDC has a great driving agreement you can use as-is or as a starting place for setting your own house rules. And then, when your children violate the agreement, which they most assuredly will, always follow through with the consequences. Take the keys. Take the phone. Take the license. They’ll be mad, but that doesn’t make you wrong.
Come visit Bemer Motor Cars, your number one BMW dealership in Houston. Whether you’re buying yourself a new vehicle so you can pass the old family car along to the teen or you’re looking for a reliable, safe used vehicle for your son or daughter, we’ve got the car and the deal for you. Come on by today!