Every person behind the steering wheel should always endeavor to become safer drivers, especially teenagers. The more you help them practice safe driving and keep their record free of accidents and violations, the lower your insurance costs will be. Here are 5 essential tips on safer driving that you can pass along to new teen drivers:
1. Drive with Your Teens As Often As You Can
To ensure firsthand that your teen is a safe driver, you need to drive with them often. You can monitor their driving behavior and point out the areas where they need improvement.
Be careful not to sound controlling or dominating. Tell your teens why it is important to be a safe driver and how it could affect the auto insurance costs.
Studies show far fewer collisions occur for younger drivers who put in about 100 hours of supervised driving time before getting a license. A student driver's most vulnerable period for getting into an accident, according to the CDC, is in the first month of learning to drive. The teen should be well supervised under your evaluation before they are allowed to drive on their own.
2. Allow Only Limited Number of Passengers
Another safer driver strategy for teens is keeping the number of passengers in the vehicle limited while driving. Risks increase with multiple passengers when a beginner is in control. Many kids want to show off their driving skills to friends resulting in distracted driving and consequent accidents.
3. Emphasize on Avoiding All Forms of Distractions
Texting on smartphones is a popular activity with teens, but it can be a hazardous distraction for any driver. Each state has its own driving laws, but nearly all of them ban texting while driving. It's merely a dangerous combination that distracts the driver from paying attention to the road.
Other distractions like listening to the radio and forgetting to monitor upcoming traffic conditions can also result in accidents. When the music is too loud, it inhibits the driver from hearing a firetruck or police siren.
Let your teen know that many accidents are the result of distractions. The best way to avoid these unnecessary collisions is to keep both eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel at all times.
4. Remind Your Teens About Traffic Laws
Teens often celebrate freedom once they are old enough to drive. But this enthusiasm must be tempered with an awareness of traffic laws designed to promote public safety. Make sure they fasten their seat-belt every time they get into the driver's seat. Remind them about fines for not wearing seat-belts and other violations.
Even though the drinking age in the United States is 21, many parents allow their teens to go to parties where alcohol is present. Instead of letting them drive to and from such parties, offer them a ride to avoid the possibility of drunk driving. Ensure they know the serious consequences of this illegal, unsafe behavior, and how it can cause your insurance rate to surge.
5. Explain and Exemplify the Benefits of Non-aggressive Driving
All drivers, irrespective of their age, should practice non-aggressive as well as defensive driving. Having this proactive strategy is vital for preventing accidents. It relies on the concept that getting safely to your destination is more important than getting there quickly. Drivers should always be prepared to slow down or yield to the traffic, regardless of who has the official right-of-way.
Safer driver practices for teens help keep your insurance rates under control. Reminding teens about the standard road rules, accident statistics, and insurance rates can help the message sink in. To know more about cutting insurance costs and your coverage needs, contact the experts at
Fuller Insurance in Southern California today.
