Teen Driver Safety Tips

Are you the parent of a new driver? This can be an exciting time in your child’s life as they gain freedom on the roads and start driving themselves to their activities. But how do you make sure you or your child is ready to take the wheel and drive safely on California roads? This article will provide some tips and tricks to help young drivers avoid accidents.

The attorneys at The Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates, PC want to help you remain safe on the roads and keep your kids safe as they become new drivers on the roads. If you end up needing a team of experienced attorneys to defend you or your child, set up an appointment by calling 888-848-5084 or contacting us online.

Eliminate Cell Phone Use

This tip can be helpful for kids and adults alike. Young drivers tend to be more distracted by cell phones while driving. Even as adults, we know better than to reach for our cell phones, but it can be hard to resist answering the phone or checking the text that just came in. However, distracted driving risks the safety of the driver as well as others on the road.

Eliminating cell phone use may also include setting up the Bluetooth calling features on the vehicle. These features can be very helpful for keeping your hands on the wheel while driving, but you also need to be able to remain focused on driving, not thinking about what is going on during the phone call. As a young, inexperienced driver, it may be a good idea to wait to hook up your phone to the car until you are comfortable driving.

Gain More Experience

Today, teens are three times more likely to be involved in a collision on the roads, according to AAP News & Journals. During the summer months, accidents involving teen drivers increase by 15% as compared to the rest of the year. Most of these accidents can be correlated to a lack of driving experience.

In the first few months of driving alone, many teens are still nervous and hesitate in emergency situations. In order to create these safe instincts and experience some emergency situations, teens should gain more experience driving before they take their driving test and get their license. With added experience during the learning permit stage, teen drivers are more likely to feel confident behind the wheel and eliminate accidents caused by lack of experience.

As with any new skill, it will still take time to be completely confident behind the wheel, but by increasing your experience before you even take your driving test, you can start driving by yourself confidently.

Reduce The Number Of Passengers

With even one additional person in the car, teen drivers are more likely to be distracted and cause or be in an accident. The distractions can be even worse when the passengers are other teens in the car. Just like eliminating cell phone use while driving, decreasing the number of passengers in your teen’s car can give them time to adjust to being able to drive on their own.

Even if your teen is the oldest of all their friends and wants to drive a car full of people to an event, you should caution them.

Never Drink And Drive

Even though it is illegal for anyone under the age of twenty-one to drink in the state of California, according to MADD, about a quarter of car crashes with teens involve an underage drinking driver. It is never ok to drink and drive, and it is an even bigger mistake to drink and drive underage. Your teen could get into an accident and get a criminal record. Teens should not drink or use drugs and then drive and should be in a clear mental state while driving.

As a parent, it is essential to make sure your teen knows it is acceptable to call you and ask for a ride rather than try to get behind the wheel and get into an accident. Most teen drunk driving accidents can be prevented by an understanding parent picking their child up from where they consumed alcohol. Even if it is inconvenient and you trust them not to drink or use drugs, it is easier to pick them up than it is to no longer have them anymore.

Set Boundaries And Curfews

The first six months to one year of a new teen driving is the most dangerous for them. In order to reduce the risk of an accident during this first year, it is important to set boundaries for where your children can drive and what times of day they are able to drive. By having a conversation with your teens and ensuring they understand where they can and can’t drive, you can make sure they are not traveling on large, busy expressways where traffic incidents are more likely to occur.

It is also common for most accidents to occur after the sun goes down. If your child needs to drive in the evening hours, make sure they have had plenty of experience driving in the dark so that they understand the challenges that come with driving after dark.

California Personal Injury Attorneys Are Ready To Help You

If you find yourself needing a car accident attorney, the personal injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates, PC can help you through the car accident lawsuit process. We are ready to represent you and make sure you receive all of the compensation you deserve. Call 888-848-5084 today to schedule your appointment or contact us online.