Time flies by quickly. Before you even notice, the baby in your stroller turns 16 years old and may ask you to teach them how to drive. It’s only natural to hope for our children to be good drivers. After all, driving through one busy street to the next is a difficult undertaking, even more so for teen drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of accidents involving teenagers are higher compared to their adult counterparts, with the risk increasing more as they drive with multiple passengers. In addition, the NHTSA claims teenage drivers accompanied by their friends are more likely to engage in risky behaviors despite the multiple warnings we give them. Telling them, “don’t drink and drive” or “drive carefully” is almost futile. But as parents, we must remain vigilant when it comes to our children’s safety.
We at Omega Law Group care about your family’s well-being. To aid in instilling safe and good driving habits for you and your teenager, we have outlined 5 tips for new drivers.
FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH YOUR STATE’S GDL LAWS
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws vary state by state, but they all serve one purpose: to instill safe and good driving habits for teen drivers. Getting information about GDL Laws can be confusing, but using Allstate as a resource may be a good place to start.
HIRE A DRIVER’S INSTRUCTOR
Depending on your state’s GDL Laws, your teenager must be enrolled in a driver’s education course. If not, we recommend hiring one anyway.
Teens riding a student driver car will provide them a solid foundation to becoming a good driver. They will be accompanied by a qualified instructor who can provide them with more safety tips for new drivers, particularly ones on how to be a better driver. This is crucial especially as teen drivers are more accident prone as stated by NHTSA.
If they pass the driver’s test when they’re 16 years old, 17 years old, or even 18 years old, chances are they’re probably going to get a provisional license, which comes with certain restrictions not found in a regular license. Review your state’s GDL laws to find out the limitations of your child’s license.
SET AN EXAMPLE
Pasting a student driver sticker on the rear-end of your 16 year old child’s vehicle will not suffice. They won’t be able to rely on that forever, and frankly some drivers will probably just be annoyed at the presence of bad driving. For your child to be a good driver, you will need to set an example for them. Practice safe driving. Use your turn signal. Follow street signs. Drive carefully.
Don’t Drink And Drive
If you’ve ever gotten into the habit of being intoxicated while driving, you need to absolutely stop. Heed the advice you give them: don’t drink and drive. Children pick up bad habits from their parents, and while you may have lucked out all those times you broke the law, your children might not possess that same fortune when they do the same.
REFRAIN FROM BUYING THEM A CAR
This may be a controversial take, but we are urging you to refrain from buying your teenager a car. A study done by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) states that licensed teen drivers are more likely to disobey speed limits when driving their own vehicles than if they were to drive the family car. For their safety, we encourage you to give them a car only if they’ve proven themselves trustworthy enough.
OMEGA LAW GROUP
Nevertheless, the NHTSA statistics are jarring. No matter how careful your teenagers are, their lack of driving experience could potentially get them into trouble. If by some stroke of bad luck your child didn’t get to drive home safe and sound, we encourage you to contact Omega Law Group. Our team is dedicated to advocating for you and your family, and will guide you through the stressful legal process. Call us: 866-942-3881. Visit our Beverly Hills office at 9545 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 830 Beverly Hills, CA 90212