How to Stress the Importance of Safe Driving to Your New…

When your teenager got his driver’s license, you probably experienced a mixture of emotions. On one hand, you were elated because you could finally hand in your taxi driver license, but on the other hand, you were scared for your teen’s safety. He’s a good kid, but you are still nervous about him behind the wheel of car. Don’t worry, you are not alone: Many parents feel this way. To help ease your worries, it is important that you really stress to your teen just how important safe driving is.

How do I do that?

Well, for starters, you can use the scare tactic. Make him so afraid of what could happen to him that he will always drive defensively and cautiously. You could find an abundance of alarming statistics (these ones were taken from TeenDriverSource.org) stating that car crashes are the number one reason teenagers die. Or you could point out that your teen’s greatest chance of crashing a car in his lifetime occurs in the first six months after he gets his license. Another route to take is to inform your teenager exactly what the common causes of serious teen crashes really are so he knows where to focus his attention (lack of scanning, going too fast for conditions, and being distracted by people or things inside or outside the car).

But remember, actions speak louder than words.

You can tell your teen everything you want about the dangers of distracted driving and drunk driving and speeding, but unless you lead by example, your words will go in one ear and out the other. You have to demonstrate everything that you preach. So put away the cell phone, keep both hands on the wheel, and always check your blind spot before changing lanes. If you can set the example you want your teen to follow, you can relax a little bit when you hand over the keys.