How To Ensure Your Teen Is Safe Behind The Wheel #CP

As a parent, seeing your teenager get behind the wheel of a car for the first time feels both exciting and frightening. Fortunately, there are plenty of steps that you can take to ensure that they are safe on the road moving forward, giving you much greater peace of mind when they hit the open road. 

Photo by why kei on Unsplash

Keep their car in good condition. Whether you’ve bought a second-hand car for your first-time driver, or you’ve added them to your insurance, keeping their car in good condition is one of the easiest ways to keep them safe. After all, it ensures that their vehicle is road-worthy, while also reducing the chances of them breaking down on the side of the road.

If you notice any maintenance issues, ensure that they are dealt with as promptly as possible. For example, this could include looking into alloy wheel refurbishment or replacement in order to ensure a smooth, steady drive. 

Offer to drive around with them for a while. While your teen would not have passed their driving test without good reason, you can increase their confidence when driving quite considerably by offering to accompany them on a few ‘test drives’. This way, you can provide them with useful driving pointers, alongside praise when they do something well. 

Encourage them to be cautious. As a parent, you are likely incredibly well-versed in lecturing your child about staying safe in many different scenarios - and let this be no different. By simply encouraging your teen to be cautious behind the wheel, you’re helping them to develop healthy driving behaviors. No matter how much they may roll your eyes, they’ll hear your voice in their head each time they put the keys in the ignition. As such, they are much more likely to drive safely as a result of this. 

Remind them of the dangers of unsafe driving. According to a recent study, around one in five roadside accidents in the UK involve young/teenage drivers. Reminding them of these facts, and the dangers associated with driving dangerously, is another great way to encourage them to be safe moving forward. 

Stop worrying. While worrying comes naturally to parents (and it never seems to go away no matter how old your kids get), try to remember that they passed their test for a reason. They would not have been awarded a license if they were not ready for the responsibility of driving freely, and you need to give them the benefit of the doubt in assuming they’ll drive safely. 

Final thoughts. In short, from simply encouraging them to be cautious each time they’re heading out for a drive, to ensuring that their car remains in pristine condition, there are plenty of steps that you can take to ensure your teen is safe behind the wheel. Doing so will give you much greater peace of mind as they set out to explore the world. Not only that, but it means you’ll feel a lot more confident when asking them for lifts!