Essential Driving and Road Safety Lessons for Your Teen Driver

The excitement that comes with learning to drive for the first time is can easily overrun all the lessons picked from a driving school. Even when they have the knowledge and skills, teen drivers tend to have the tendency to test the limits of speed and even the law. It’s not until a little later in life that the excitement settles down.

As a parent or guardian to a teen driver, you play a crucial role in cultivating good road manners. Teaching by example is perhaps the best way to demonstrate these key lessons. In the discussion that follows, we look at essential tips you can hand over to a teen and make them better drivers and road users.

Let Them Know the Car Systems

You cannot effectively operate machinery if you don’t know how various systems work in it. A key approach to teaching teens road safety is teaching them all-important car systems. In other words, they need to learn what the machine they are handling is capable of doing. Simplify this message in the best way possible.

On the dashboard, teach them to check for fuel, speed, indicators, engine signal, lights on and off, and other crucial notifications. Also, you emphasize the use of seat belts and mirrors. You can also do the online defensive driving course.

Teach them Laws and Safety Requirements

The driving school will teach them laws and road safety but it will get better if you put this point across. Ensure that they understand road safety for cyclists, pedestrians, other drivers, and all road users. Essential tips for this cause include proper use of traffic lights, safe driving speeds, pedestrian paths, and so on.

An important element of safety on the road is the proper side to drive from. Every country has a defined system of driving on the right or the left. This is a crucial road safety tip that any driver should be keen to learn.

Minimizing Distractions

Most distractions on the road can be avoided or minimalized by making conscious and deliberate decisions. Mobile devices such as phones are the main source of distractions and are responsible for a large number of accidents.

Teach your teen to avoid distractions, including loud music, eating, drinking as well as operating the radio. The more distractions you have on the road, the high the chances of getting into accidents. Teach your teen to control the car even when they have passengers engaged in conversations. The emphasis here is on minimizing distractions in order to be fully aware of their environment. With less distractions, response to emergencies is faster and you are also able to make quick decisions

Effective Communication

Road users communicate with each other in various ways, including signals. Teach your teen driver to use effectively use various communication tools at their disposal. This is one of the best ways of showing courtesy on the road and being mindful of others. The horn, for instance, can be a nuisance to other drivers if used inappropriately. However, it’s very useful as a warning sign to other road users but can also be very distracting and disturbing.

Gold Coast traffic lawyers say that with proper communication, you are able to anticipate the actions of other drivers while sending out your intentions and decisions. Keep an eye on your mirrors and ensure the driver ahead and behind you is well aware of your intentions. This particularly important when you want to overtake. Be clear in your mind that the situation is safe enough, and you will overtake safely.

Plan Ahead 

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons you can teach your teen driver is to plan ahead but don’t expect perfect situations on the road. The road can be unpredictable and it’s important to avoid anxiety. The weather, the route to use, time, and other factors are all important road factors to put in mind as part of planning ahead.

Mapping out your route helps you to know what to expect, placing you in a better position to make the right decision. For instance, if you choose a route with a lot of trucks, the movement might be slower, and overtaking could be risky. This means you might spend more time on the road than planned for. Such elements are key learning elements that help the driver to maintain a good mood. It’s a good way to avoid anger, frustrations, and unnecessary flare-up on the road.

Response to Emergencies

Teach your teen driver how to handle certain emergencies on the road. Not all occurrences should cause them panic or a feeling of helplessness. Let your teen driver learn how to change a flat tire, act in case of an accident, heavy rains, or high winds. They don’t have to be expert mechanics but they can still check faulty plugs and other minor breakdowns that may stall their journey. All these lessons are important.

Conclusion

As you teach your kid how to drive, don’t forget to mention that overspeeding is a leading cause of road accidents. The adrenaline and the temptation to step on the gas is usually too high and danger is always looming. Allow them to learn and make deliberate decisions relating to speeding, keeping them safe on the road. Finally, bear in mind that you are the best example and your teen driver will carry over important lessons from what you do on the road.