One of the most exciting perks of becoming a teenager is gaining the freedom to drive,
but with that freedom comes a lot of responsibility. And parents, you share in that responsibility: It’s your job to teach your teen about cars and driving — before they turn
16 — and get them ready to hit the road safely. Use our age-appropriate checklist to
make sure you and your teen are on the right track. BY JASMINE YORK AND CAITLIN HOWELL
TURN YOUR TEEN’S
DRIVER-VISION ON
Teens gain “driver-vision” by paying attention
from the passenger seat. Take this opportunity to start teaching them about how cars operate (blinkers, steering, braking, etc.), about
road signs, basic road etiquette, judging the
proper distance to drive behind others and
detecting and avoiding possible accidents.
DO THIS TOO: Talk to your teen about
the importance of following rules of the road
and driving laws and the consequences of
breaking them.
Model good driving. Encourage your
teen to watch what you do. Talk through
your decisions with your teen. What are you
seeing that your teen might not see? Why are
you doing what you are doing?
TRY THIS: Get your teen a copy of the
driver’s manual from a local DMV and
encourage them to start studying now for
their learner’s permit. You can help make the
learning process easier by making up road
games like “What’s That Road Sign?”.
GIVE THEM HANDS-ON
EXPERIENCE
Once teens are familiar with the rules, they
should be ready to pass the written test for
a learner’s permit. And now is a good time
to allow them to get comfortable behind the
wheel. Teens should practice as often as possible (at least 50 hours) and gradually work
their way up to advanced driving situations
like busier traffic, driving at night, rainy
weather and dirt roads in addition to parking
practice (all under parental supervision of
course).
DO THIS TOO: Review the controls of the
automobile and its functions—headlights,
turn signals, seatbelts, mirrors, pedals, putting the car in gear, etc.
Chose a low-traffic road or area
for your teen’s first on-road experience. You want them to learn the basics
of driving. Give your teen feedback on their
performance.
TRY THIS: Be careful what you preach,
because your actions could be teaching your
teen something else. Teens tend to measure
their own invincibility by their parents’ actions. It is imperative that you follow rules
like speed limits, complete stops at stop signs,
proper signaling and buckling up.
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www.potentialmagazine.com
SAFETY
FIRST
According to the Alabama Child
Death Review System (ACDRS),
vehicular fatalities are, by far,
the single largest category of
non-medical deaths in teenagers,
accounting for almost half of all
deaths they review. Many of these
deaths involve teenage drivers.
Alabama is currently the second
worst state in the nation for
teen driver fatalities.
%
OF POTENTIAL
PARENTS PLAN
TO BUY A NEW CAR
FOR THEIR TEEN