Safe Teen Driving Tips

Once your teen has their license, they are going to want to start driving all the time. So often, they will get behind the wheel, start the ignition, and sprint down the street without knowing the ins and outs of their vehicle. Before your teen operates their car, we recommend you go over the owner’s manual with them. It will tell them how the vehicle functions and what the dashboard and instrument panel lights mean. Some vehicles will come with a quick reference guide for the more important features that make learning about the vehicle easier. We also recommend teaching your teen about vehicle maintenance as well. Open the hood, look at the oil levels, find the toolkit and jack, and teach your teen how to change a tire. You should also invest in a roadside emergency kit. The more time you take showing your child how their vehicle functions, the more they will know what to do in emergencies.

Before your teen gets moving, have them establish a pre-car routine. First, make sure that their feet can reach the pedals without their knees touching the dash. Next, they should portion their seat to easily reach the gas and brake pedals without lifting their heels from the floor. The height of their seat should also be adjusted so that you have an unobstructed view of the road. Finally, the rearview and outside mirrors should be adjusted to have the largest field of view and cut out as many blind spots as possible. The proper seating position will allow for greater steering control and increased vision around your vehicle.

Distracted driving is dangerous driving, and most accidents are caused by distracted drivers. Such distractions as sleepiness, noisy passengers, eating, and multi-tasking will result in dangerous driving situations. Therefore, your teen driver must eliminate or at least reduces these distractions when they’re on the road so they can focus on being safe while driving. Also, technology plays a major role in distracted driving, and your teen should keep in mind that no call, text, social media post, or song is worth their safety. If there is an emergency, they need to safely pull the car over to the side of the road. It’s vitally important that your teen keep their eyes scanned on the road and watch for potential hazards. If you’re fiddling with the radio or returning a text, the response time to make a quick stop or slow down will be impaired.

Rear-end collisions make up a large number of accidents. If your teen is following too closely, it will hinder their ability to come to a complete stop without a collision and limit their sightlines and ability to anticipate what’s coming. Make sure that your teen knows that they need to leave plenty of space between their car and the car in front of them so they can brake or change lanes if needed. Your teen also needs to understand what’s behind or around their vehicle. They need to use their rearview and door mirrors every 15 to 30 seconds so they can quickly respond to any potential hazards, and be sure to check your blind spots before changing lanes. Most importantly, we highly recommend talking to your teen about not speeding as it could lead to a ticket or an accident.

While teaching your teen to drive might push you over the edge as a parent, it’s imperative not to lose your cool while you’re teen is behind the wheel. Most studies will tell you that holding an emotionally charged conversation with your child will compromise their driving performance, reduced their attention span,  and increased their distraction. If your teen does something wrong on the road, be sure to make a mental note so that you can discuss it when you get back to the house or if you feel that the infraction was serious, have them pull over the car.

If you and your teen are searching for a wonderful pre-owned vehicle that will make them feel safe every time they step behind the wheel, then you’re going to want to head down to Fred Martin Superstore and speak with one of our knowledgeable and friendly experts who will assist you in finding the right vehicle for you and your teen. Once you have test driven a few and find something you like, be sure to check out our finance department, where our team will work with you towards a deal that fits your budget. Even if you can’t make it down to the dealership right now, be sure to check out our complete inventory here on our website.