Having a teen that’s about to become a new driver can be bittersweet for many parents. While part of you might be excited to not have to be the chauffeur anymore, it can also be scary to think of your precious child behind the wheel of a vehicle. But with the right preparation, both you and your teen can find a way to feel ready for this new step once the time comes.
To help you with this, here are three tips for preparing for a new teen driver at your house.
Start Teaching Driving Skills
If you want your teen to be ready to drive, you’re going to want to start teaching them some of the basics of driving pretty early on. From their early teen years, it’s wise to begin sharing tips about driving and why you do the things you do when you’re behind the wheel. Invite them to observe and ask questions as they’re in the car with you.
Once they get a little older, you can start slowly giving them a little more experience with cars. According to Wayne Parker, a contributor to Very Well Family, the most natural progression for teaching your teen to drive starts with simply learning about the car. After that, you can help them master basic skills of being behind the wheel, interacting with other drivers on the road, parking, and other most technical skills.
Update Your Car Insurance
While no parent wants to think about the possibility of their child getting into a car accident, teens are statistically more likely to get into car accidents than any other demographic. Because of this, it’s important that you have the right car insurance to cover everyone in the event that something bad does happen on the road.
According to Geoff Williams, a contributor to the Huffington Post, some parents choose not to insure their children specifically on their car insurance since that insurance generally follows the car, not the driver. This can be a great money-saving tactic if you’re confident that you’ll be covered in the event of an accident.
But for those who want to have their teen drivers specifically covered on their insurance without having to pay through the nose, you can try to reduce costs by getting a good student discount, having your teen take a defensive driving course, getting an older and safer car for your teen to drive, or having your teen’s driving habits tracked by the insurance company.
Set Clear Ground Rules For Driving
To ensure your teen will act responsibly about driving, Kurt E. Gray, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, shares that you might want to set some ground rules. These should include things like how to limit distractions, what passengers they’re allowed to have in the car, and rules about speeding and seat belts.
If you’re wanting to be as prepared as possible for when your teen starts driving, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.
Infographic created by Capital Auto Auction, an auto auction inventory company
