It’s happened. Your child is now 16.
It’s time for your son or daughter to learn to drive. As their parent, it’s your job to teach them.
It’s a daunting task. You want to do it right, but you’re not sure if you’re doing a good job. Follow these tips and teach these habits to make your 16 year old a safer, smarter driver.
Tips for teaching your child to drive:
- Make sure your child has experience driving in hazardous conditions like heavy rain and snow. It may seem obvious, but some teens get their learner’s permit in April or May and their driver’s license in October. Winter is coming and they may never have driven in snow.
- When teaching your child, don’t rush. Give them a chance to drive on side streets and in driveways before taking them on major streets. This builds their confidence and allows you to rectify mistakes.
- When your child is riding in the passenger seat, explain concepts to them. This is a simple way to give your child helpful information about the workings of the road, without the possible risks if your child is behind the wheel.
- Don’t be afraid of tough love. Try not to be angry or frustrated, but be clear if your child has made a mistake.
- Teach your child some basic repairs. They don’t need to be a mechanic, but they should have a general knowledge of how to change a tire, how to use jumper cables and other simple fixes.
- Smart car selection. While it’s good to know how to drive a manual transmission car, or an especially large car, it isn’t necessary for a new driver. Ideally, your child should learn in a car similar to the one they will drive the most (if not the same car).
Habits your teen driver should practice before and after they receive their license.
As your teen learns to drive, there are a several habits they should adhere to that will make them a safer driver.
Always have your child leave five to ten minutes early. This extra time will help your child to relax and prevent them from making poor choices in order to arrive on time.
Make sure your child is prepared. They should always have a means to buy gas (credit card, debit card, gift card or others) and they should be prepared to deal with different types of weather scenarios.
Finally, tell your child to relax. They should be focused, but they shouldn’t be stressed or worried. Remind them that wrong turns and missed exits aren’t a big deal, and mistakes happen from time to time.
Proper education goes a long way.
A good foundation of knowledge and experience behind the wheel can make your teen a safer driver. For a more comprehensive, detailed list of tips for teens and parents, go to www.teendriving.com.
If your teen was injured in an accident by no fault of their own, you need to call me immediately to guide you both through the process of a car accident claim.
As your Ohio car accident lawyer, I’ll be there for you, and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
Author: Tim Misny | For over four decades, personal injury lawyer Tim Misny has represented the injured victim in in birth injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases, serving “Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Dayton and neighboring communities.” You can reach Tim by email at misnylaw.com/ask-tim-a-question/ or call at 1 (800) 556-4769.
