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How can you help your teen develop safe driving habits?

If you have a teen at home in Pennsylvania who cannot wait to get his or her driver’s license, you may be feeling very uneasy right now. You may wonder what is the best way to help make them a proficient driver. After all, the last thing you want is for your teen to cause or be the victim of a motor vehicle accident.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each day six teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 die as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. This age group is about threefold as likely as those ages 20 and over to suffer death from a vehicle collision. However, helping your child implement certain driving strategies might reduce the likelihood of them experiencing a crash.

First, you may find it useful to draw up a contract or agreement with your teen containing your expectations of their driving behavior. You should have your teen promise to:

  •       Adhere to the rules of the road at all times
  •       Wear a seatbelt each time he or she drives
  •       Limit the number of peer passengers to a previously agreed-upon number
  •       Refrain from any alcohol or drug use before driving
  •       Never text or engage in other distracted driving actions

Second, in addition to setting a good example for them with respect to your own driving habits, spend a lot of time practicing driving with your child. This holds true even after he or she has taken driver’s education and passed their road test, since the major cause of teen motor vehicle accidents can be attributed to inexperience.

This information is provided solely for educational purposes and should not be interpreted as legal advice.