Four Tips To Teach Your Kids About Defensive Driving

As the parent of a teen driver, it is imperative that you teach your child good driving habits. Defensive driving can go a long way to keep your child safe on the road. Young drivers can be very expensive when it comes to insurance, and if they’re involved in an accident, your insurance premiums could skyrocket. Esposito Law Firm P. A. cares about our customers, and avoiding car accidents is good for your health as well as your finances. There are a few tips we recommend teaching your young drivers to keep them safer on the road.

Patience is a virtue and courtesy could save a life. Your teen should know that some drivers are simply rude. People will cut them off and break traffic rules and there isn’t anything they can do about it. They should know that it’s never safe to tailgate or drive aggressively to prove a point. In road rage incidents, everyone loses, and your teen should be taught to avoid this behavior. Taking a deep breath and letting things go are not only valuable life skills but could save your teen’s life on the road.

Your teen should also stay aware of their surroundings at all times. Things happen very quickly on the road and split-second decisions can make all the difference. It is vital that your teen knows to stay aware of everything happening on the road. This includes everything up to twenty feet in front of them as well as everything happening behind them. Teach your teen to check their mirrors and blind spots often. General awareness is very important on the roadway.

You should also make sure to practice emergency stops with your teen. This is especially important if your teen drives an older vehicle without anti-lock brakes. Know your vehicle’s brakes, and practice stopping the correct way. Incidents occur on the roadway that requires quick stops, and the more your teen understands how to stop quickly and safely, the safer they’ll be on the road. 

Finally, it is important to check your habits and those of your teen. Make sure that they do the simple things to help other drivers. Make sure they know to signal, how to merge, not to race yellow lights, and to avoid distractions such as cell phones. These minor details could make all the difference for your teenage driver. 

If your teen is involved in an accident, call Esposito Law Firm, P. A. as soon as possible. We will help represent them and ensure they receive fair compensation or a just court case.