Whether you're a teen driver or you're the parent of a teen who's about to get behind the wheel on their own, it's intimidating. Driving is inherently risk-filled, and this is especially true if you have limited driving experience.
Sometimes teens don't have a real understanding of how serious the risks of driving can be either, or what makes for a risky driving scenario.
Some of the steps that can be taken to improve driving safety among teens are simple. For example, buckling up can go a long way, and using seatbelts doubles your chances of surviving an accident.
The following are things to keep in mind whether you are a teen driver or you're the parent of a teen driver that can encourage more awareness and safer habits.
Know the risks
A big part of being encouraged to drive more safely is knowing the risks.
For example, 16-year-olds have a higher rate of auto crashes than drivers of any other age, and more than 40% of teen auto deaths occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Talking on a cell phone doubles the risk of an accident, and 1 in 5 16-year-old drivers are in an accident within their first year of getting their license.
With that being said, 56% of teens say they depend on their parents to learn how to drive, so parents play a bigger role in safe driving habits than they might realize.
If you're a teen or a parent of a teen, understanding driving readiness is critical, as well. Some young people simply aren't ready to drive yet. They may be anxious about the idea or too immature to handle the responsibility.
If so, know the warning signs in yourself or your teen and practice driving and take the time necessary to get to the point of readiness.
If you're a parent, give your teen as much possible experience behind the wheel with you as you can. The more practice a teen gets, the more they're going to know about handling a variety of situations they may face when they're on their own.
Open Communication
If you're the parent of a teen, you should be comfortable speaking openly and honestly about the risks of driving and specific concerns you may have for your teen.
You may want to avoid uncomfortable conversations, but that can then diminish the importance of safe driving habits in the mind of your teen.
If you're not speaking out on things like distracted driving or using substances and driving, your teen may not view these scenarios with the seriousness they should.
The idea isn't to panic or be overly emotional, but instead is to be realistically aware of the challenges and risks of driving.
When you're working with your teen behind the wheel and having them practice their driving, you want to speak to them in a calm and concise way without yelling or losing your cool.
Put Some Rules in Place
There are some rules that should absolutely be in place for all teen drivers.
First, reckless driving should never be permitted.
As a parent, you should also prohibit your teen from driving at night unless absolutely necessary. If you're a teen driver, try to stay off the road during these dangerous hours.
Teens should have rules about substance use and driving-there should be a zero-tolerance policy in place. The same goes for driving while drowsy and distracted driving, both of which can be just as dangerous as driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Consider having a contract with your teen if you're a parent. You might think your teen won't pay attention to it, but if it's linked to their driving privileges, they likely will.
The contract should include a list of rules, and what will happen if they break the rules.
Be a Positive Role Model
As parents, you might not realize just how much your teens are looking at you as an example of what to do in life, and this includes driving. You should make a conscious effort to be a good driving role model at all times.
Practice safe and distraction-free driving. Avoid recklessness or impatient behaviors when you're behind the wheel.
Finally, your role in your teen's driving doesn't end when they get their license. Stay actively involved at all times and continue talking to them about safe driving and work with them to develop their skills as good drivers.
