Things A Young Driver Should Know About

By Author: Marcus Stalder
Total Articles: 491
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Having your teen driver knowing about the basic safety measures while driving can sometimes lead to better insurance rates. Not to mention your kid's safety while he's driving the car. So here are five most important things you should teach your teenage driver about driving behavior:

Tip #1: Don't be aggressive

When you mention about teen driver the typical reaction would be something like "these kids are crazy when driving". It's true that most traffic violations and serious accidents involve drivers who are younger than 25. Little driving experience, tendency to take risks, lack of knowledge of some important traffic rules and general aggressive driving style make teens some of the most feared traffic participants. That's why you should teach your teen how to be a good driver. Here are some important tips he or she must follow:

* Use directional signals when changing lanes and turning
* Only change the lane when needed
* Avoid distracting and racing other drivers
* Yellow lights means that it's time to slow down
* Even if lights hit green, don't take off without ...
... looking around
* Don't follow drivers who are aggressive, just leave them be
* Don't speed if the weather conditions are poor

Tip #2: Don't get distracted

Most driving experts will tell you that more than 25% of all accidents happen because drivers get distracted. It can be anything from food to cell phone or changing the tracks in your iPod. When you're driving your eyes have to be on the road because you never know what happens next. So tell your teen to avoid any distraction, and if there's an urgency to pull over. Better being late than in an accident.

Tip #3: Always buckle up

Teach the teen by personal example, always put the seat belt while driving. Emphasize the importance of wearing a seat belt since it can really save your live. It's not a matter of car insurance or any other costs, because life is priceless. Stress out the importance for all passengers to buckle up before the car even starts driving. It is a matter of life and death when an accident takes place.

Tip #4: Driving after drinking is a bad idea

Sure, no one says that teenage drinking should be encouraged. It's a problem that a lot of parents have to deal with. But apart from using alcohol, it's much more important to stress out the danger of drinking and driving afterwards. Alcohol intoxication is responsible for a large part of all car accidents, and your kid shouldn't get into the statistics. So if you suspect that your teen is going to the party and will take a few drinks there, it's better to get the keys from the car and make him get a taxi instead.

Tip #5: Speed limit isn't for breaking it

Speed limit signs aren't there for pure decoration. Did you know that the risk of death doubles with every 10 mph you get over the usual 50 mph limit? Besides, getting a speeding ticket will make you pay even more for car insurance, which is already costly for teen drivers. And getting such entries in the driving record is something that the young driver will struggle with for a long time in the future. So make sure to stress out the importance of obeying the speed limit.