Is your teenager almost ready to take their road test? Do you secretly hope they lose interest before they do? While for many parents the prospect of their teenager getting their driver’s license incites feelings of pride, for others (you?) it’s anxiety inducing. The thought of your child on the road alone sends a red alert to your protective instincts. You’re already anticipating restless hours by the window waiting for their return from the mall. Is there anything you can do to ease your fears, aside from hiding the car keys in the attic? There is. Let’s review!
3 Tips to Finding Peace of Mind as Your Teenager Prepares to Get Their Driver’s License
Send Them to Driving School
Your mother may have taught you to drive. Her father may have taught her. You may have planned to follow family tradition, but is that really a good idea? Are you certain that there haven’t been any bad habits passed down from one generation to the next? Moreover, times have changed. There are new threats on the road and many more distractions due in-part to the inception of auto-infotainment and other digital bells and whistles. It’s best to leave teaching the ways-of-the-road to a professional. They won’t pull any punches, and won’t give your teenager a passing grade unless they are certain that they’re road ready. There is no better way to find peace of mind than by sending them to driving school. View ICBC approved driving schools here.
We know your teenager may not be “stoked” about having to add more school to their current semester load. However, if you make it clear that doing so shortens their path to getting their license they’ll come around quite quickly. Further, you can lead by example and join them by taking an ICBC recommended refresher course yourself. Maybe, this could end up being a bonding experience between you and your soon-to-be independent teen.
Hide the Phone (well, sort of)
As mentioned above, you don’t have to hide the car keys in the attic to reduce anxiety about teenage driving. You may however, hide their smartphone. Studies have found that using a phone while driving is one of the leading causes of fatal car accidents for youths. Of course, we’re not being literal about hiding their smartphones, but you must take steps to ensure that they don’t touch, look at, listen to, or talk on their phones while driving. That’s right, even hands-free usage is unacceptable. Consider installing an application that locks them out of using their phone while driving and let it be known that if they want you to keep paying their phone bill (etc.) that they should not attempt to disable it. Tough love, etcetera. View more on these apps and other tips to keeping them away from their phones while driving.
Get Them the Most Comprehensive Auto-Insurance Possible
Despite the effective preparations and precautions above, fender benders happen. Your teen may have been well-trained in good driver behavior, but some of the others on the road with them have not. For this reason you must go above and beyond when it comes to your auto insurance (when listing them as drivers of your vehicle) or when purchasing one for their very own vehicle. This is why you should see a broker when buying auto-insurance that involves your teenage driver. When you work with an established broker, you can learn about all your coverage options. This can include extended third-party liability coverage, collision coverage, and more. Schedule a consultation with Park Insurance to gain further peace of mind that your teen is fully protected with comprehensive auto insurance.