How To Protect Your Teen Driver

If you have a child who is finally cresting that age where they will be able to drive themselves around, then you know just how tricky the subject of driver's safety can be! You want to protect your child at all costs, but first you have to get them on board with the new protocol. Safety should always come first when your teen is getting behind the wheel for the first time. Your teenager may not want to hear this because it might dampen how cool, new and exciting the experience of driving for the first time can feel. This may be where you and your child approach an impasse. However, there are ways that you can convince your teen to put safety first and still have them be excited for their newfound freedom of the open road. Here are some tips that will help you protect your new teen driver!

Make Sure They Understand Their Rights

One of the first things that you as the parent should consider doing when your teen gets behind the wheel is adding them to your insurance policy. If possible, you can raise your liability limits so that you are legally prepared in the event that they might get into a wreck of some kind. Of course this is the sort of thing you hope you never have to deal with, but it does not hurt to prepare for this. While you prepare for this hopefully never to happen circumstance, you should also educate your teenager as to what their legal rights are in a crash or wreck of any kind. Education is power when it comes to the law! Having a good lawyer that you can call is also a key component. A Las Vegas personal injury lawyer says that even if you do not think you need a lawyer for a car wreck, you should use one anyways because they can make sure you receive a proper settlement. As you walk through all of these preventative measures, you can bring your new driver along with you so that they understand how everything works.

Sign a Contract

This is a common thing that parents do with their teenagers. You start by writing up a list of all of the things you expect your teen to do and not do while in the driver's seat. Then, you go over everything in detail, as well as the consequences and rewards involved, and have your child sign the contract. You sign the contract as well, which will show your child just how important the information on that piece of paper is. You can include items such as no texting and driving, no more than three people in the car at once and always wear a seatbelt.

Have Them Do the Research

If you want your teen to be more involved in the process there is no better way than to have one or all of your children take a day to do research and put together a presentation on driving safely. You can tell them to include visuals, proposed rules and more in their slideshow. This will make them feel more involved and excited about bringing the information to you and, as a main result, they will feel empowered to remember and utilize the information on driving safely. If you have more than one kid, you can even include a prize for the best presentation to make the whole experience even more fun!

Being the parent of a new driver can be extremely worrisome and stressful. Teenagers are known for their tendencies towards unpredictable and emotional behavior due to their brains' still being in the mode of development. This can make for a tricky entrance into driving alone for the first time, for the parent and the child. The number one thing to remember is that your child's safety is your first priority. Following one or any of these tips can help you sleep better at night knowing you have done everything you can to prepare your teen for the roads!