When you send your teen driver out on the road, you trust that they will obey all of the safety rules and laws. One of those laws is not to text and drive. There are apps and safety features in cars that can prevent this from happening.
However, there could be times when your teen might forget and text while driving or use their phone while driving. Performing any of these acts have an assortment of risks associated with them that your teen needs to understand.
Set the Rules
Before your teen gets behind the wheel, you need to make a few rules. One of these should be not to text and drive. If needed, take your teen's phone away so that there won't be a temptation while your teen is driving.
You can also deactivate the text feature on your teen's phone or deactivate the calling feature unless it's an emergency. Make sure your teen understands the responsibility in a pedestrian accident or in an accident involving another vehicle while texting if this situation occurs.
Sleeping Habits
Texting with friends can keep your teen up at night. Drowsy driving can impact your teen's driving habits. If they are tired when they get behind the wheel, these negative impacts could happen:
An accident
Running off the road
Getting a ticket
Falling asleep behind the wheel
Make sure your teen gets plenty of sleep at night, even if that means taking the phone away before going to bed. Set rules with consequences so that your teen knows that you’re serious.
Statistics
Talk to other parents, attorneys, doctors, and insurance agents about the statistics pertaining to teens and texting while driving. Watch videos and read books together to get more information about this dangerous situation so your teen understands that it's important to put the phone away while driving to prevent an accident from happening.
Even if an accident doesn't occur, there are other consequences of texting and driving, such as getting a ticket due to texting while driving being illegal in most states.
Model Behavior
If you don't want your teen to text while driving, then you need to demonstrate this behavior when you're driving. Leave the phone in the glove box or in another safe location so that you're not tempted to use it when you're behind the wheel.
If your teen sees that you don't rely on your phone, then it can put a positive spotlight on being safe for them as well. You can also demonstrate safe ways to use a phone in an emergency if one is needed, such as finding a well-lit parking lot or using the phone after pulling over to the side of the road.
Passengers
In some states, there is a maximum number of passengers that teen drivers can have in the car. If you live in a state that doesn't enforce this limit, then you should consider setting this limit in your home. One or two passengers is a good limit to have.
The passengers in your teen's car should be people you trust and know won't distract your teen while driving. You should meet your teen's friends before they get in the car together so that you know who they are and know a little about their personality and behavior.
Teen drivers should not use phones in the car, and if they do, they should only use them in an emergency. When your teen arrives at their intended destination, they should check in with you to ensure that you know they are safe. You can’t eliminate all dangers on the road but teaching your teen not to text and drive will give you some peace of mind.
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