5 Most Important Driving Lessons & Road Safety Tips for Your New Teen Driver

Taken from: www.budgetdirect.com.au

Being independent, gradual freedom and wanting to get their L or N sign away sooner than later, can be a great push for a new teen driver to pass their Driving test.

​But the statistics are very sobering: The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per km driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.

As a parent, you can play and active and crucial role in your teenager’s driving lessons. Here are nine road safety tips to share with your teen to encourage them to be better, safer drivers.

1. Wear your seatbelt

It seems very simple and everyone knows this, but when you're out and about with friends, getting excited to go to a party, this simple reminder can be a life and death sentence. ​Seat belts work because they distribute forces from a crash across the chest and pelvis, some of the strongest parts of the body. So that belt could mean the difference between getting a few bruises versus your body flying into the windscreen.

2. Put the Phone Away

​Learner and New drivers aren’t allowed to use phones at all while driving. The physical, visual and cognitive distraction leads to unsafe driving and increases the odds of a crash. Before starting the car, have your driver-in-training switch off his phone and put it out of reach. If they need to use the phone, teach them to stop and park where using a mobile phone won’t be a danger to themselves or to other road users. According to researchers, each time a driver writes and sends a text, his or her eyes are off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, enough time to drive the length of a rugby pitch. Remind your teen that it’s their job to watch the road when driving, and no one else can do it for him.

3. Check Your Blind Spot Every Time

Side and rear mirrors do a good job of showing what’s happening behind the vehicle. However, they still leave areas big enough for other cars, bikes and people to hide in. That’s why drivers should check their blind spots:

• Before pulling out from the kerb
• Before parking or leaving a parked position
• Before and during a three-point turn
• Before merging with other traffic
• Before changing lanes (e.g. when passing or overtaking)
• Before turning, where you’ve seen another car

It’s a good idea to practice checking blind spots with your teen until the head-over-the-shoulder move becomes second nature. It’s also possible to minimise the size of a blind spot by adjusting the side mirrors so that your own car is out of sight.

4. Don’t Drive in Someone Else’s Blind Spot

Teens should be aware of their own blind spots, but also those of other vehicles too. If they’re driving alongside the right of and slightly behind another car, that other car might not see them there. Your teen should pull alongside or in front of them, or drop back until he can see the face of the other car’s mirrors.

5. Sleep, Then Drive

Your teen may be smart enough not to drink and drive, but did you know that driving sleepy can be just as dangerous as driving drunk? Sleepiness impairs a person’s attention, working memory and coordination skills, all crucial for safe driving.

An estimated 15 per cent of crashes are caused by fatigued driving, according to road safety researcher Chris Watling. “Young drivers don’t view the dangers of drink driving and sleepy driving equally, despite the crash risks being similar.”

​Teach your teen the warning signs of sleep driving. These include: daydreaming, difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, heavy eyelids and trouble keeping the head up. Let them know it’s OK to pull over for a 20-minute power nap, then get back on the road more rested

These reminders seem very simple but crucial. Remind your teen often as these habits don't come naturally if you are a new driver. Be safe on the road and if you need us to check your car before the cold winter comes, please don't hesitate to call us!

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