Raising A Safe Teen Driver – Four Ways To Encourage Your Child To Never Text And Drive
One of the most common mistakes teenagers make while behind the wheel is texting. Driving while distracted kills and injures thousands of people each year.
Sending messages to their friends causes them to take their eyes off the road, putting their life and the lives of others at risk in seconds.
Many teens lack the discipline and self-control only to wait until they’re no longer driving before handling their cell phone.
Avoiding these habits is possible with parental guidance given with love and careful consideration. To encourage your child never to text and drive, here are a few important tips to follow.
Warn About Injuries Or Death
Watch videos with your teen driver to help them become aware of how they can become injured or even die from distracted driving caused by texting while driving.
Watching real life cases will help your teen understand the severity of the texting while driving and help reduce their feelings of invincibility.
The stories of those affected by distracted driving have a unique way of putting a face and emotional connection to the problem.
Help Them Avoid An Accident
Inform your teenager by avoiding texting and driving; they’ll also be capable of driving defensively to make sure they can prevent an accident that may be caused by another driver.
They’ll be able to scan the road and see road debris or a driver who is weaving in and out of traffic.
While a simple lecture may not encourage them to drive safely, consider installing an app on their phone to restrict them from texting while operating a vehicle.
Discuss The Legal Ramifications
It’s important to discuss how much money your teen will have to pay in tickets if they’re caught texting and driving, in addition to an increase in their insurance policy.
If your teen happens to get a ticket for texting or using their cellphone while driving, contact a company like 702 Traffic, which is an option to obtain legal assistance to reduce the charges and contest the ticket.
Inform Your Teen Of The Consequences
Tell your teen driver of the consequences they’ll face if they’re ever caught texting and driving.
Help them understand they’ll lose their driving privileges or will be prevented from going out for an extended period.
You can also threaten to take away their phone, which will help them to understand the severity of their actions and what they can lose if they’re irresponsible.
Don’t be afraid to practice tough love to sufficiently discourage the misuse of driving privileges.
Although it’s impossible to control the actions of your teenager as they get their license and begin to drive, there are several ways to help them make good decisions.
By establishing rules and informing them of the consequences, they’re likely to take you seriously and remain safe as they operate a vehicle or drive with friends.
Your efforts will not only save your teen’s life but can also reduce the risk of other deaths on the road in the coming years.
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