January is Teen Driving Awareness Month. Use it to implement these safety tips with your teen.
Your teen getting their license is a blessing, and a curse. On one hand, you just freed yourself from the carpool rotation and those late-night pickups. On the other hand, you’re probably going to spend some time worrying about your new driver on the road. Fortunately, you can take steps to ensure your teen is as safe as possible. January is Teen Driving Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to go over these safety tips with your teen!
- Practice. One of the best ways you can ensure your teen practices safe driving habits is to be involved in the early phases of his or her driving. By being there as your teen forms habits behind the wheel, you can nip those that are risky in the bud.
- Have a ruling on phones. Calling and texting while driving is extremely dangerous. 16 percent of drivers under 20 who get into fatal accidents were distracted at the time of the accident, so it’s important you make a strict rule about phone usage. There are a number of apps that will reward your teen for avoiding the phone while in the driver’s seat, and they’re well worth looking into.
- Set an example. If you’re wondering where your teen picked up that bad driving habit, you might just need to look in the mirror. Most new drivers’ habits are shaped by people they’ve watched drive, so be sure you’re modeling safe driving.
Once you’re ready to release your teen onto the roads, don’t wait to call your insurance agent. You can protect your family against the financial burden of an accident caused by your inexperienced driver by updating your California auto insurance. To make sure your entire family is properly covered, contact Chambers & Company Insurance Brokers.