driving safety for teens Archives - Have Sippy Will Travel

5 Things Parents of Teen Drivers Can Do to Keep Them Safe on the Road

There comes a time in every parent’s life when their children are going to get behind the wheel and start driving. This is a nerve wracking time for many parents, but you can make it easier on your self and your kids. Follow these 5 suggestions to keep your teen drivers safe on the road when they start driving.

Enforce a No Phone Rule
One of the biggest dangers to teens and older drivers alike on the road is cell phone use behind the wheel. Mobile phones have worked their way into almost every aspect of life for many of us, and the risks of talking and texting behind the wheel have led legislators in many areas to pass laws against drivers using cell phones. Set your own ground rules about using phones while driving. Your teens shouldn’t be answering any calls while they’re driving–not even your calls.
Talk About Intoxication
Like many parents, you may be shocked to learn that kids are partaking in underage drinking all over the country. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it is one that parents rightly rail against in every generation. Talk to your teens about the dangers of driving under the influence. Not only is it illegal, [Read more…]

Establishing Rules of the Road for Your Teen

The process of teaching your teenager to drive can be a complicated one, with a lot
of moving parts, so to speak. There are a lot of different facets of the responsible driving
experience, and as a responsible parent you always want to make sure you cover all of
your bases, and then some. You might be lucky, and have your children enrolled in a
school that teaches driver’s education as part of its regular curriculum, or you’ve enrolled
your child in a driver’s ed course outside of school. Either way, each teenager is required
to attend a class, study a book, and receive a certain number of hours’ worth of behind-
the-wheel practice with a certified instructor. These methods aren’t always enough,
however, to get your teenager as used to the road as he or she should be before setting
out to get that license, and that’s what the learner’s permit is for. You’ll have a chance
to drive with your teen for about six months before he or she is eligible for a driver’s
license, and that’s your chance to really make sure your teenager is absolutely familiar
with the rules of the road.

It’s important to keep in mind how stressful driving can be when you’re first doing it.
You know your teen best, so you know his or her tendencies towards nervousness, and
you can always gauge how they’re doing behind the wheel in the moment. Keep an eye
on how your teen is doing, and make sure that your advice or direction isn’t presented
in such a way that startles [Read more…]