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.

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