Kids grow up fast. Before you know it, they will be driving. It’s a source of every parent’s anxiety. Your child will be driving a car, and you may wonder if they are ready for the responsibility. Some of us may look at our kids and think, “they are fully capable of handling this skill.” Others may know right away that their child may have difficulty becoming a stable, reliable driver. Whichever category your child falls under, there are certain rules to driving that must be learned far beyond knowing the rules of the road. Here are some tips to share with your new driver before they take to the road.
Keep Your Eyes On the Road
This is a simple rule. One that will be taught in every driving class and a rule that appears in every driving manual. It is also the first rule to be broken almost every time your child gets in the car. With cell phones, everyone is distracted. Your child is going to want to text with friends, check emails, and yes, scroll through their social media to see what’s going on.
It seems like anyone would know that social media can wait because nothing is that important, but you are wrong. Most auto accidents happen because of distracted driving, and thousands of people a year contact an auto accident attorney to seek compensation for negligent driving. Tell your child time and again to watch the road, and when they are in the car with you, keep your phone away so that you can set an example.
Road Rage Is Not Worth It
Road rage is for people who take things personally. This is something your child should know. A lot of times people are not paying attention, and when they cut you off, it has nothing to do with you. As a driver you must learn to take things in stride, take a deep breath, and then keep on driving. When you get angry and start taunting the other car, then it becomes personal, then people get hurt.
Road rage is not worth it. Teach your child that when things happen on the road, simply let them go. The further you stay away from a bad driver, the further away you are from being in an accident or being the victim of someone else’s negligence. Road rage is for people who are bad drivers.
Be a Defensive Driver
When on the road, it’s always the best idea to be fully alert to what other people are doing. As much as you are paying attention to yourself, you must pay that same attention to how other drivers are operating. When you are unaware of what is happening on the road around you, that is when you can become the victim of an accident.
With new technology in cars today, if someone or something comes too close to you, your car will beep and an alarm will go off, alerting you to the fact that you need to pay attention to what you are doing. As with all technologies, you can only trust them so much until you have to rely on your own senses and judgment. Teach your children to trust themselves and pay attention at all times.
Enjoy the Ride
Everyone is always rushing around. It’s just human nature. We all have somewhere we have to be and nine times out of ten, we are not on time. Rushing around and not paying attention is where accidents happen. This is a good time to tell your child to enjoy the ride. If you’re late, then you’re late.
You can’t turn back time and you can’t stop time, so get there when you get there. Rushing around and cutting off cars or darting into and out of lanes is only going to slow you down even more because you are going to try and get around people who are going slower than you. You will be rushing to wait. Sit back, enjoy the ride, and you will arrive less frazzled, more focused, and most people forgive lateness.
Fuel the Car Now Not Later
Whether you are driving an electric car or a gas-powered car, teach your child to get fuel now. If the car needs to be charged, charge it. If you are running low on gas, get it. A lot of young drivers don’t want to be bothered with having to go out of their way to fuel up, and what happens in the end is a car that is stuck on the side of the road without fuel. This is especially worrisome for electric cars because you can’t go to the charging station and get a can of electricity.
Teach your new driver to take care of business right away so that it doesn’t have to wait until later when it is really inconvenient.
Don’t Ignore Warning Lights
If a light goes off, do something about it. If an engine needs to be serviced, if oil is low, if the transmission fluid is running out, don’t ignore it. Make a plan to get it looked at right away. If your new driver is driving your car, tell them to let you know so that you can take the proper steps to make that light go off. The longer you wait the more damage is done to your car, and that will create an even larger headache for everyone.
Change Your Oil
New drivers think that oil never runs out, and then their engine seizes and their car is useless. Teach your child how often to get an oil change and what an oil change entails. A lot of businesses will try to upsell you on other items like filters when you really don’t need them. Teach your child how to be savvy, how to be knowledgeable, and how to take care of their car and themselves. These are lessons that will allow them to thrive as a brand new driver.
