Pennsylvania Teen Driving Safety Tips
As parents, it is a stressful and exciting time when your child gets their driver’s license. Your teen now has more freedom, but also a lot more responsibility. Most teenagers feel invincible, which means they may underestimate the risks around them. Take some time to sit down with your teenager and go over these important driving safety tips that will help equip your teen driver with a mindset for safety each time they get behind the wheel.
Avoid Distracted Driving
This includes eating, fidgeting with the radio, and cell phones. Phones have proven to be the number one distraction for teen drivers. Distracted driving now accounts for more road fatalities than drunk driving!
Discourage Speeding & Reckless Driving
Make sure your teen knows what is considered reckless driving. Speeding, not using turn signals, following too closely, moving in and out of traffic, driving too fast for conditions, etc. are all considered reckless driving, you should discourage them from taking risky maneuvers behind the wheel.
Avoid Multiple Passengers
Driving with friends is one of the best parts of being a teen driver, but it is also incredibly distracting. Accident risk increases when other teens are in the car. Teens, especially newly licensed drivers, should be encouraged to keep the number of passengers to one.
Require Teens To Use Seat Belts
Seat belts reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury in a car accident. Parents should require seat belts every time they practice driving with their teens to get the teenagers into the habit of buckling up and require them to use seat belts every time they get in a car.
Adopt A Zero Tolerance Policy For Impaired Driving
Never allow your teenage driver to get behind the wheel if they have been drinking. Just one beer can impair the ability to drive and result in a deadly accident. Adopt a zero-tolerance policy for drinking and driving and model the behavior yourself.
Practice Defensive Driving
Maybe your teen is already a safe driver but being aware of what other driver’s are doing is just as critical. Remind your child to drive with their headlights or daytime running lights on and to allow enough room between their car and the one in front of them.
Teach Your Teen The Proper Steps To Take If They Are In An Accident
While you hope your teen is never in an accident, arming your child with the knowledge of what to do if they find themselves in an accident is exponentially beneficial. In the event of an accident your teen needs to:
- Stay Calm
- Turn off the car and if possible pull out of traffic
- Call the police
- Check surroundings and if safe, carefully exit the car
- Turn on hazards
- Check on the people in the other vehicle and if injuries were sustained call an ambulance
- Call your parent(s)
- Stay polite to emergency personnel and follow instruction
- Be courteous to the other driver regardless who is at fault
Following these tips can help ease your teen and make the process safer and easier for everyone involved. Gay and Chacker are here for you and your teen! If your teen driver has been in an accident and an injury occurred, contact our attorneys at Gay and Chacker.
