Cars and Motorcycles

One of the biggest milestones of becoming a teenager is learning how to drive, passing the DMV test and finally getting your own car. Most teens are thrilled and can’t wait to finally drive themselves to school and work instead of having their parents drop them off. However, figures show that teens are more likely to get into accidents than adults and that is a major concern for many parents whose kids are just starting to drive.

Risk-taking behavior is very common with teens; they simply don’t think of consequences in the same way that adults do. Males are particularly prone to feeling this way. As a result, many participate in risky behaviors such as speeding, cutting off other drivers, engaging on road rage or even illegal street racing. The most important thing you can do as a parent is to have a serious discussion with your teen as to why risk taking is unacceptable. Let them know that unfortunate accidents can and do happen every day to young people and that driving should be a privilege and not a right.

A good way to help avoid catastrophe is to develop a good rapport with your kids and an open line of communication. If talking won’t work then technology can be used in order to control your teen’s driving behavior. Ford Motor Company has an optional system available for installation on its vehicles called the Ford MyKey System. You can use this speed in order to limit how fast your teen can drive when behind the wheel.

We’ve all heard that driving while under the influence is a major problem with teens and that’s because it is. One of the three fatal crashes among teens involves the use of alcohol. 18 year olds have the highest crash rate in the U.S. Another contributor is that teens are less likely to use seat belts than adults.

Let your teen know that they should never let their friends drive drunk, but grab the keys if possible and call and adult for assistance. Also let them know that they should never get into a car with a drunk friend.

Some young folks may be afraid of making a scene or even afraid to speak up for themselves. Perhaps they don’t have a ride home. Let them know that they can always call you and that you will pick them up in this type of situation. It’s not just the drunk drivers that get hurt, passengers can get hurt too.

It’s definitely more dangerous for teens to drive. However, drivers education and their parents influence can go a long way when it comes to instilling safe driving habits.